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of  the 

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STATE  MORI,"  JL, 

liOS  flNGEliES,  CHI*. 


IS"ORY  OF 


OUR  COUN  RY 


FROM  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  .  .  .  . 
AMERICA  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME 


INCLUDING  A  COMPREHENSIVE  HIS 
TORICAL  INTRODUCTION,  COPIOUS 
ANNOTATIONS,  A  LIST  OF  AUTHOR 
ITIES  AND  REFERE-NCES,  ETC. 


PROFUSELY  ANEW  BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUSTRATED. 
MAPS,  CHARTS.  PORTRAITS.  FAMOUS  HISTORIC 
SCENES  AND  EVENTS,  AND  A  SERIES  OF 
BEAUTIFUL  POLYCHROMATIC  PLATES 


By  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS,  A.  M. 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  STANDARD  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES," 
"YOUNG  PEOPLF.'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,"  "THE  ECLEC 
TIC  PRIMARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATORS 

C.  M.  Relyea,  H.  A.  Ogden,  J.  Steeple  Davis,  Warren  Sheppard, 
W.  H.  Lippincott,  A.  B.  Doggett,  De  Cost  Smith,  W.  P.  Snyder, 
Gilbert  Gaul,  W.  C.  Fitler,  C.  Kendrick,  Joseph  Gleeson,  and  others. 


INDIANAPOLIS,  IND 

J.  H.  WOOLL1NG  &  COMPANY 


JnNl9C9 


(Ebitimt  be 

is  limited  to  five  hundred  copies,  of  which  this  is 

« 

Copy  No 


COPYRIGHT,  1895,  1896,  1897,  1898,  1899,  1900, 
BY  HENRY  W.  KNIGHT. 


COPYRIGHT,  1899,  BY  FRANK  E.  WRIGHT. 
COPYRIGHT,  1900,  BY  MAI,L,ORY  &  HOOD. 
COPYRIGHT,  1904,  BY  MALJ.ORY  &  CO. 
COPYRIGHT,  1905,  BY  THE  JONES  BROS.  PUB.  CO. 


SPECIAL  NOTK-I.—  The  illustrations  in  this  volume  are  protected  by  copyright,  i 
they  must  not  be  reproduced  or  copied  without  written  permission  from  the  publish' 
Disrepar.1  of  this  warning  will  «ubject  the  offender  to  the  penalty  provided  by  law. 


1 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS,  VOLUME  VII. 

Chapter       XCVI.     McKinley's  Administration,  1897  (Continued)       .     1758 
Chapter      XCVII.     McKinley's  Administration,  1897  (Concluded)       .     1789 


Chapter   XCVIII.     McKinley's    Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued), 


Chapter       XCIX.     McKinley's    Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued),         


Chapter 
Chapter 


C.     McKinley's   Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued), 


1824 


1860 


1881 


CI.     McKinley's   Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued),     1901 


Chapter            CII.     McKinley's  Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued),    1936 

Chapter          CIII.     McKinley's  Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued), 1959 

Chapter          CIV.     McKinley's  Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued),    .....'..'...     1977 

Chapter            CV.     McKinley's  Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued),    i 1997 

Chapter           CVI.     McKinley's  Administration,    1897-1901    (Con 
tinued),    2025 


'e-e  j 

19/+2. 

CHAPTER   XCVI 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION— 
(CONTINUED) 

\Authoritics  •  To  anyone  who  sees  in  passing  events  signs  of  things  that  are  to  come, 
perhaps  nothing  connected  with  the  events  described  in  this  chapter  has  deeper  signifi 
cance  than  the  words,  "  Let  us  have  peace."  They  fell  from  the  lips  of  Grant  when  he 
was  at  the  zenith  of  his  power.  Carved  in  granite  they  look  down  upon  the  silence  of 
his  final  rest.  They  are  instinct  with  philosophy,  and  express  a  universal  yearning  for 
"  Peace  on  earth  and  good  will  towards  men. "  And  this  peace  is  coming.  Great  as  are 
the  achievements  of  such  leaders  of  men  as  he  who  rests  in  that  beautiful  mausoleum, 
they  are  only  means  to  an  end.  They  do  not  delay,  but  hasten  the  approach  of  the 
time  when  all  men  shall  be  at  peace.  They  stimulate  those  discoveries  in  the  art  of  war 
fare  that,  sooner  or  later,  will  convert  into  monuments  of  human  folly  the  mighty,  battle 
ships  of  which  nations  are  now  so  proud,  and  upon  which  they  so  confidently  rely.  The 
means  for  human  destruction  will  become  so  effective  as  to  render  war  only  national 
folly.  Whether  the  fame  of  the  great  captains  of  the  world  will  be  dimmed  by  these 
new  conditions  might  perhaps  be  an  interesting  question  for  speculation. 

The  authorities  for  the  matter  in  this  chapter  are  so  numerous  and  so  well  known  to 
the  reader  that  it  is  not  deemed  necessary  to  cite  them.] 

E  bones  of  the  leaders  of  the  great  Civil  War  are 
widely  scattered.  Sherman  sleeps  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mississippi;  Sheridan  at  Arlington,  across 
the  Potomac  from  Washington;  Major  Anderson, 
of  Fort  Sumter,  Generals  Kilpatrick,  Sykes,  and 
Keyes  at  West  Point;  John  A.  Dix  in  Trinity 
Cemetery  on  Washington  Heights;  Frdmont  in 
Rockland  Cemetery  on  the  Hudson ;  McClellan  at 
Trenton ;  Burnside  in  Rhode  Island ;  Hooker  at  Cincinnati ;  Meade 
in  Philadelphia;  Lyon  at  Eastford,  Conn.;  Cushing  (the  destroyer 
of  the  Albemarle)  in  the  Naval  Cemetery  at  Annapolis;  Hancock  at 
Norristown,  Pa. ;  Farragut  at  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  New  York ;  Phil 
Kearny,  the  "one-armed  devil,"  in  Trinity  churchyard,  New  York; 


Where 

the 

Union 

Leaden 

are 
Buried 


COPYRIGHT    1897. 


Mrs.  Garfield 
Mrs.  Harrison 
Mrs.  Grant 


Mrs.  McKinley 
Mrs.  Cleveland 

LADIES  OF  THE  WHITE  HOUSE— 1869  TO  1901 


Mrs.  McElroy 
Mrs.  Hayes 
Miss  Cleveland 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1759 


McPherson  at  Clyde,  Ohio  ;  Mansfield  at  Middletown,  Conn.  ,  J.  F. 
Reynolds  at  Lancaster,  Pa.;  Logan  in  the  National  Cemetery  at 
the  Soldiers'  Home,  Washington;  Slocum  at  Washington;  Butler 
at  Lowell,  Mass.  ;  Crook,  the  Indian  fighter,  Harney  of  the  regulars, 
Doubleday,  Gibbon,  with  Admirals  Porter  and  Jenkins,  and  Rear- 
Admirals  Queen,  Johnson,  Shufeldt,  and  more  than  a  score  of  other 
heroes  rest  with  Sheridan  at  Arlington. 

The  little  town  of  Lexington,  Va.,  holds  the  ashes  of  Robert  E. 
Lee  and  Stonewall  Jackson,  while  those  of  Jeb  Stuart  and  Pickett 
repose  in  the  Hollywood  Cemetery,  Richmond.  Near  Westbrook, 
close  to  Richmond,  lies  the  body  of  A.  P.  Hill.  Jo  Johnston  was 
buried  in  Greenmount  Cemetery,  Baltimore;  Polk  underneath  the 
chancel  of  St.  Paul's  church  at  Augusta,  Ga.  ;  Albert  Sidney  John 
ston  was  the  only  army  commander  killed  in  battle;  Beauregard  was 
buried  in  Metarie  Cemetery,  New  Orleans  ;  Forrest  at  Elmwood  Cem 
etery,  Memphis;  Semmes  in  New  Orleans;  Armistead  at  Gettys 
burg,  and  Garnett  among  the  unknown  dead  in  the  same  historic  town. 

General  Grant  will  always  remain  the  overshadowing  military 
leader  connected  with  the  War  for  the  Union.  It  was  he  wno  di 
rected  the  decisive  and  closing  campaign  of  that  mighty  struggle  for 
the  life  of  the  nation,  and  a  grateful  republic  will  never  fail  to  do 
honor  to  his  memory. 

The  life  and  achievements  of  Grant  have  been  so  fully  set  forth 
in  the  preceding  pages  that  a  repetition  of  them  is  unnecessary. 
The  following  analysis  of  his  character,  however,  is  so  clear  and 
truthful  that  it  deserves  permanent  record.  It  was  written  by  Lieut.- 
Gen.  John  M.  Schofield,  an  intimate  and  trusted  friend  of  the  great 
soldier: 

"  General  Sherman  wrote  that  he  could  not  understand  Grant,  and 
doubted  if  Grant  understood  himself.  A  very  distinguished  states- 
man,  whose  name  I  need  not  mention,  said  to  me  that  in  his  opinion 
there  was  nothing  special  in  Grant  to  understand.  Others  have 
varied  widely  in  their  estimates  of  that  extraordinary  character.  Yet 
I  believe  its  most  extraordinary  quality  was  its  extreme  simplicity, 
so  extreme  that  many  have  entirely  overlooked  it  in  their  search  for 
some  deeply  hidden  secret  to  account  for  so  great  a  character,  un 
mindful  of  the  general  fact  that  simplicity  is  one  of  the  most  promi 
nent  attributes  of  greatness. 

"The  greatest  of  all  the  traits    of    Grant's    character  was  that 


PERIOD  vii 


THE  NEW 


Where 
*h®  c°n* 

Leaders 
Buried 


g  . 

field's 

'    Of 
Grant 


1760 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PKRIOD  vii  which  lay  always  on  the  surface,  visible  to  all  who  had  eyes  to  see  it. 
THE *IEW    That  was   his  moral  and  intellectual  honesty,  integrity,  sincerity, 

r 


STATES 


ULYSSES    S.   GRANT 


veracity,  and  justice.  He  was  incapable  of  any  attempt  to  deceive 
anybody,  except  for  a  legitimate  purpose,  as  in  military  strategy; 
and  above  all,  he  was  incapable  of  deceiving  himself.  He  possessed 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1761 

that  rarest  of  all  human  faculties,  the  power  of  a  perfectly  accurate  PERIOD  vn 
estimate  of  himself,  uninfluenced  by  vanity,  pride,  ambition,  flattery,    THE  NEW 
or  self-interest.     Grant  was  very  far  from  being  a  modest  man,  as      STATES 
that  word  is  generally  understood.     His  just  self-esteem  was  as  far 
above  it  as  it  was  above  flattery.     The  highest  encomiums  were  ac 
cepted  for  what  he  believed  them  to  be  worth.     They  did  not  disturb 
his  equilibrium  in  the  slightest  degree.     Confiding,  just,  and  gener 
ous  to  everybody  else,  he  treated  with  silent  contempt  any  sugges 
tion  that  he  had  been  unfaithful  to  any  obligation.     He  was  too    Grant's 

proud  to  explain  where  his  honor  was  questioned.  Self-con- 

fidence 
"  While  Grant  knew  his  own  merits  as  well  as  anybody  did,  he 

also  knew  his  own  imperfections  and  estimated  them  at  their  real 
value.  For  example,  his  inability  to  speak  in  public,  which  pro 
duced  the  impression  of  extreme  modesty  or  diffidence,  he  accepted 
simply  as  a  fact  in  his  nature  which  was  of  little  or  no  consequence 
and  which  he  did  not  even  care  to  conceal.  He  would  not  for  many 
years  even  take  the  trouble  to  jot  down  a  few  words  in  advance,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  say  something  when  called  upon.  Indeed,  I  believe 
he  would  have  regarded  it  as  an  unworthy  attempt  to  appear  in  a 
false  light  if  he  had  made  preparations  in  advance  for  an  'extempo 
raneous'  speech.  Even  when  he  did  in  later  years  write  some  notes 
on  the  back  of  a  dinner-card,  he  would  take  care  to  let  everybody  see 
that  he  had  done  so  by  holding  the  card  in  plain  view  while  he  read 
his  little  speech.  After  telling  a  story  in  which  the  facts  had  been 
modified  somewhat  to  give  the  greater  effect,  which  no  one  could  en 
joy  more  than  he  did,  Grant  would  take  care  to  explain  exactly  in 
what  respects  he  had  altered  the  facts  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  interest  in  his  story,  so  that  he  might  not  leave  any  wrong  im 
pression.  -  . 

"  When  Grant's  attention  was  called  to  any  mistake  he  had  com- 
mitted,  he  would  see  and  admit  it  as  quickly  and  unreservedly  as  if  and  Jus- 
it  had  been  made  by  anybody  else,  and  with  a  smile  which  expressed 
the  exact  opposite  of  that  feeling  which  most  men  are  apt  to  show 
under  like  circumstances.  His  love  of  truth  and  justice  was  so  far 
above  all  personal  considerations  that  he  showed  unmistakable  evi 
dence  of  gratification  when  any  error  into  which  he  might  have  fallen 
was  corrected.  The  fact  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  and  that  itewas 
plainly  pointed  out  to  him  did  not  produce  the  slightest  unpleasant 
impression,  while  the  further  fact  that  no  harm  had  resulted  from 


1762 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  vii  his  mistake  gave  him  real  pleasure.     In  Grant's  judgment,  no  case 

^jNiraoW    *n  which  any  wrong  had  been  done  could  possibly  be  regarded  as 

STATES      finally  settled  until  that  wrong  was  righted,  and  if  he  himself  had 

been,  in  any  sense,  a  party  to  that  wrong,  he  was  the  more  earnest 

in  his  desire  to  see  justice  done.'    While  he  thus  showed  a  total 

absence  of  any  false  pride  of  opinion  or  of  knowledge,  no  man  could  be 

firmer  than  he  in  adherence  to  his  mature  judgment,  nor  more  ear- 


His 

Moral 

Courage 


GENERAL  GRANT'S  FIRST  TOMB 

nest  in  his  determination,  on  proper  occasions,  to  make  it  understood 
that  his  opinion  was  his  own  and  not  borrowed  from  anybody  else. 
His  pride  in  his  o\vn  mature  opinion  was  very  great;  in  that  he  was 
as  far  as  possible  from  being  a  modest  man.  This  absolute  confi 
dence  in  his  own  judgment  upon  any  subject  which  he  had  mastered 
and  the  moral  courage  to  take  upon  himself  alone  the  highest  respon 
sibility,  and  to  demand  full  authority  and  freedom  to  act  according 
to  his  own  judgment,  without  interference  from  anybody,  added  to 
his  accurate  estimate  of  his  own  ability  and  his  clear  perception  of 
the  necessity  for  undivided  authority  and  responsibility  in  the  con- 
duct*of  military  operations,  and  in  all  that  concerns  the  efficiency  of 
armies  in  time  of  war,  constituted  Ihe  foundation  of  that  very  great 
character. 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


"When  summoned  to  Washington  to  take  command  of  all  the 
armies,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General,  he  determined,  before 
he  reached  the  capital,  that  he  would  not  accept  the  command  under 
any  other  conditions  than  those  above  stated.  His  sense  of  honor 
and  of  loyalty  to  the  country  would  not  permit  him  to  consent  to  be 
placed  in  a  false  position,  one  in  which  he  could  not  perform  the 
service  which  the  country  had  been  led  to  expect  from  him,  and  he 
had  the  courage  to  say  so  in  unqualified  terms. 

"  These  traits  of  Grant's  character  must  now  be  perfectly  familiar 
to  all  who  have  studied  his  history,  as  well  as  to  those  who  enjoyed 
familiar  intercourse  with  him  during  his  life.  They  are  the  traits  of 
character  which  made  him,  as  it  seems  to  me,  a  very  great  man,  the 
only  man  of  our  time,  so  far  as  we  know,  who  possessed  both  the 
character  and  the  military  ability  which  were,  under  the  circum 
stances,  indispensable  in  the  commander  of  the  armies  which  were  to 
suppress  the  great  rebellion. 

"  It  has  been  said  that  Grant,  like  Lincoln,  was  a  typical  Ameri 
can,  and  for  that  reason  was  most  beloved  and  respected  by  the 
people.  That  is  true  of  the  statesman  and  of  the  soldier,  as  well  as 
of  the  people,  if  it  is  meant  that  they  were  the  highest  type,  that 
ideal  which  commands  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  highest  and 
best  in  a  man's  nature,  however  far  he  may  know  it  to  be  above 
himself.  The  soldiers  and  the  people  saw  in  Grant  or  in  Lincoln, 
not  one  of  themselves,  not  a  plain  man  of  the  people,  nor  yet  some 
superior  being  whom  they  could  not  understand,  but  the  personifica 
tion  of  their  highest  ideal  of  a  citizen,  soldier,  or  statesman,  a  man 
whose  greatness  they  could  see  and  understand  as  plainly  as  they 
could  anything  else  under  the  sun.  And  there  was  no  more  mystery 
about  it  all  in  fact  than  there  was  in  the  popular  mind." 

It  having  been  decided  that  the  body  of  General  Grant  should  be 
buried  in  New  York,  with  the  right  of  sepulture  of  his  widow  beside 
the  remains,  she  selected  Riverside  as  the  final  resting-place.  The 
task  of  providing  a  suitable  tomb  then  confronted  his  friends. 

By  the  close  of  September,  1886,  the  subscriptions  to  the  monu 
ment  fund  amounted  to  $82,669.69,  and  in  February  following  the 
legislature  incorporated  "  the  Grant  Monument  Association. "  Sub 
scriptions  then  virtually  stood  still  for  several  years,  though  consid 
erable  additions  were  made  in  1890  and  1891.  The  one  man,  under 
Gen.  Horace  Porter,  who  deserves  our  admiring  gratitude  for  bring- 


PKRIOD  VII 

THE  NBW 
UNITED 
STATES 


His 
Honor 

and 
Loyalty 


River 
side  his 
Burial 
Place 


CHAP,  xcvi       McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1765 


ing  the  subscriptions  to  a  triumphant  success  was  Edward  F.  Cragin,  PERIOD  VH 
of  Chicago.     In  the  face  of  obstacles  that  not  one  in  a  thousand    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

would  have  faced,  he  set  to  work,  and  by  his  ability,  his  tact,  his      STATES 
daring,  and  his  untiring  vigor,  he  raised  $350,000  in  a  period  of  six 
weeks,  that  making  every  dollar  required.     Then,  accepting  a  modest 
fee  for  his  services,  he  returned  to  Chicago. 

Ground  had  been  broken  with  appropriate  ceremonies  on  the  an- 


QRANT'S   TOMB— ENTRANCE  TO  VAULT 

niversary  of  Grant's  birthday,  April  27,  1891,  on  the  site  of  River 
side  Drive  and  12  3d  Street,  and  one  year  later  the  corner-stone  was 
laid  by  President  Harrison. 

The  lower  section  of  the  grand  sepulchre,  which  was  planned  by 
John  H.  Duncan,  measures  90  feet  on  a  side,  is  square  in  shape, 
and  of  the  Grecian-Doric  order.  On  the  south  side  the  entrance  is 
guarded  by  a  portico  in  double  lines  of  columns,  approached  by  steps 
70  feet  in  width.  The  structure  is  surmounted  with  a  cornice  and  a 
parapet  at  a  height  of  72  feet,  above  which  rises  a  circular  cupola, 
70  feet  in  diameter,  terminating  in  a  pyramidal  top,  1 50  feet  above 
grade,  and  280  feet  above  the  Hudson  River. 


Plan  of 

Sepul- 

chr 


ire 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  vii       The  architecture  is  severe  but  noble.     The  interior  gives  a  cruci- 

THB  NEW    form  plan,  76  feet  in  greatest  length.     Piers  of  masonry  at  the  corners 

STATES     are    connected  by  arches  forming    recesses.     The    arches  reach  a 

height  of  50  feet  above  the  floor,  and  over  them  is  an  open  circular 

gallery,  surmounted  by  a  panelled  dome,  105  feet  above  the  floor. 

The  plane  and  round  surfaces  are  ornamented  with  sculpture  in  alto- 

rilicvo,  depicting  scenes  in  General  Grant's  career.     This  sculpture 


GRANT'S  TOMB— THE  SARCOPHAGUS  AND   VAULT 

is  by  J.  Massey  Rhind.     The  granite  used  in  the  structure  is  very 

"The       ^£ht  in  color,  and  the  sarcophagus  is  made  of  brilliant  reddish  por- 

Sculptor  phyry.     The  crypt  is  directly  under  the  centre  of  the  dome,    and 

stairways  lead  to  the  passage  surrounding  the  sarcophagus  where  in 

time  will  rest  the  remains  of  General  Grant's  widow. 

The  removal  of  the  remains  of  General  Grant  to  their  last  resting- 
place  in  the  new  and  magnificent  tomb  on  Morningside  Heights 
overlooking  the  beautiful  and  historic  Hudson  was  attended  by  one 
of  the  most  imposing  sights  ever  witnessed  in  the  metropolis  of 
America.  The  demonstration  consisted  of  three  great  spectacles, — 
the  Qeremony  at  the  tomb;  the  grand  parade  of  the  army,  the 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1767 

National  Guard,  and  civic  bodies,  and  the  review  of  the  navy  and  PERIOD  VH 
the  merchant  marine  on  the  Hudson.  THE  NEW 

UNITED 

Among  those  gathered  to  witness  the  formal  transfer  were  the      STATES 
President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  many  state  gov 
ernors,  representatives  of  other  nations,  and  distinguished  American 
citizens.     On  our  picturesque  Hudson,  now  honored  by  the  presence     .     . 
of  the  tomb,  were   brought  together  some  of  the  mightiest  ships  of     posing 
war  ever  assembled  in  this  country,  with  representatives  from  other     a£ea 
navies,  and  a  vast  array  of  merchantmen,  all  brilliant  with  marine 
bunting.     The  water-front   from    I29th  Street  to  the  Battery,  and 
from  Whitehall  up  the  East  River  to  the  Bridge,  was  decorated  with 
the  beautiful  colors  of  our  glorious  flag,  and  with  flags  of  other  na 
tions,  while  the  city  throbbed  for  hours  with  the  tramping  of  thou 
sands  of  marching  feet,  the  rumble  of  artillery,  and  the   tread  of 
horses'   hoofs.     There  were  60,000  men  in  the  line  of  the   land 
parade,  which  took  more  than  six  hours  to  pass  a  given  point. 

The  day  was  very  disagreeable.  It  was  unusually  cold,  and 
marked  by  gusts  of  wind,  which  often  filled  the  air  with  blinding 
dust,  and  made  the  situation  of  the  spectators  extremely  uncomfort 
able  ;  but,  unmindful  of  this,  most  of  them  remained  in  their  places 
until  the  close,  unwilling  to  lose  even  a  portion  of  the  remarkable 
demonstration. 

At  twenty  minutes  to  eleven  the  booming  of  guns  from  the  river 
fleet,  followed  by  cheers,  announced  the  coming  of  the  Presidential 
party  on  their  way  to  the  dedication-stand.  They  were  escorted 
by  Squadron  A,  while  the  Grant  family  were  under  the  escort 
of  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  New  York  Command- 
ery,  and  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  with  four  comrades 
of  George  G.  Meade  Post,  No.  I,  G.  A.  R.,  Department  of  Penn 
sylvania,  in  carriages,  all  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Daniel  But- 
terfield. 

The  Presidential   party  included   Secretary    Sherman,    Secretary       The 
Bliss,  Secretary  Russell  A.  Alger  and  Mrs.  Alger,  Attorney- General     ^ntfjj 
and  Mrs.  James  McKenna,  Secretary  and  Mrs.  James  Wilson,  Gen-      Party 
eral  Miles,  Mrs.  Miles,  daughter,  and  aide. 

The  occupants  of  the  Grant  carriage  were  Mrs.  Julia  D.  Grant, 
Mrs.  Frederick  D.  Grant,  Miss  Julia  Grant,  Master  U.  S.  Grant 
third,  U.  S.  Grant,  Jr.,  Mrs.  U.  S.  Grant,  Jr.,  Miss  Marion  Grant, 
Master  Grant,  Mrs.  Julia  Grant,  Mrs.  Fannie  Grant,  Master  U.  S. 


1768 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  VII 


STATBT 


GENERAL     PORTER 


Grant  fourth,  Mrs.  Nellie  Grant 

Sartoris,  Algernon  Sartor  is, 

Miss     Vivian     Sartoris,     Miss 

Rosemary     Sartoris,     Jesse 

Grant,  Mrs.  Jesse  Grant,  Miss 

Nellie  Grant,  Master  Chapman 

Grant,     Miss     Virginia    Grant 

Corbin,  and  M.  J.  Cramer,  Mrs. 

M.  J.  Cramer,  and    Mrs.  Jesse 

Cramer. 

Next    came    the    diplomatic 

corps,  ied  by  the  British  Am 

bassador,      followed     by     the 

French    and    German    Ambas 

sadors,  and  the  Mexican,  Swiss, 

Danish,    Portuguese,    Turkish, 

and  Belgian  ministers,  and  the 

ministers  of     Ecuador.     Amid 

repeated  applause  President  McKinley  appeared  at  the  door  of  the 

tomb,  and,   linking  arms  with  Mayor  Strong,  descended   the   plat- 

form  to  the  speaker's  desk. 
Ex-President  Cleveland  seated 
himself  beside  the  President, 
and  the  two  talked  together 
with  every  appearance  of  the 
best  of  good  fellowship. 

The  exercises  opened  with 
prayer  by  Bishop  Newman,  who 
had  been  an  intimate  friend  of 
General  Grant.  President  Mc 
Kinley  was  warmly  welcomed 
as  he  stepped  forward  to  speak. 
His  address  was  as  follows  : 

"  A  great  life,  dedicated  to 
the  welfare  of  the  'nation,  here 
finds  its  earthly  coronation. 
Even  if  this  day  lacked  the 
impressiveness  of  ceremony  and 
was  devoid  of  pageantry,  it 


MAYOR  STRONG 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1769 


would  still    be   memorable,   because  it   is   the   anniversary   of    the  PERIOD  vn 
birth  of  the  most  famous  and  best  beloved  of  American  soldiers.          THE  NEW 

UNITED 

"  Architecture  has  paid  high  tribute  to  the  leaders  of  mankind,      STATES 
but  never  was  a  memorial  more  worthily  bestowed  or  more  gratefully 
accepted  by  a  free  people  than  the  beautiful  structure  before  which 

we  are  gathered. 

Presi- 

"  In  marking  the  successful  completion  of  this  work  we  have,  as  dent  Mc- 

Kinley's 
Address 


PRESIDENT    McKINLEY   AND    HIS  CABINET  ON   BOARD  THE       DOLPHIN" 

witnesses  and  participants,  representatives  of  all  branches  of  our 
Government,  the  resident  officials  of  foreign  nations,  the  governors 
of  States,  and  the  sovereign  people  from  every  section  of  the  coun 
try,  who  join  in  the  august  tribute  to  the  soldier,  patriot,  and  cit 
izen.  , 

"  Almost  twelve  years  have  passed  since  the  heroic  vigil  ended 
and  the  heroic  spirit  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant  took  its  flight.  Lincoln 
and  Stanton  had  preceded  him,  but  of  the  mighty  captains  of  the 
war  Grant  was  the  first  to  be  called.  Sherman  and  Sheridan  sur 
vived  him,  but  have  since  joined  him  on  the  other  shore.  The  great 
heroes  of  the  civil  strife  on  land  and  sea,  for  the  most  part,  are  now 


1770 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


THE  NEW 

UNITED 

STATES 


dead.  Thomas  and  Hancock,  Logan  and  MacPherson,  Farragut,  Du 
Pont,  and  Porter,  and  a  host  of  others  have  passed'  forever  from 
human  sight.  Those  remaining  grow  dearer  to  us,  and  from  them 
and  the  memory  of  those  who  have  departed,  generations  yet  unborn 
will  draw  their  inspiration  and  gather  strength  for  patriotic  purpose. 
"  A  great  life  never  dies  ;  great  deeds  are  imperishable  ;  great 


Worthy 

of  the 
World's 
Homage 


BISHOP  NEWMAN  OPENING  THE    PROCEEDINGS  WITH   PRAYER 

names  immortal.  General  Grant's  services  and  character  will  con 
tinue  undiminished  in  influence  and  advance  in  the  estimation  of 
mankind  so  long  as  liberty  remains  the  corner-stone  of  free  govern 
ment  and  integrity  of  life  the  guarantee  of  good  citizenship. 

"  Faithful  and  fearless  as  a  volunteer  soldier,  intrepid  and  invinci 
ble  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Armies  of  the  Union,  calm  and 
confident  as  President  of  a  reunited  and  strengthened  nation,  which 
his  genius  had  been  instrumental  in  saving,  he  has  our  homage,  and 
that  of  the  world.  We  love  him  all  the  more  for  his  home  life  and 
homely  virtues.  His  individuality,  his  bearing  and  speech,  his  sim- 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1771 


pie  ways,  had  a  flavor  of  rare  and  unique  distinction;  and  his  Arner-  PERIOD  vii 
icanism  was  so  true  and  uncompromising;  that  his  name  will  stand    THE  NEW 

°  UNITED 

for  all  time  as  the  embodiment  of  liberty,  loyalty,  and  national  unity.      STATES 

"  Victorious  in  the  work  which,  under  Divine  Providence,  he  was 
called  upon  to  do;  clothed  with  almost  limitless  power,  he  was  yet 
one  of  the  people — patient,  patriotic,  and  just.  Success  did  not 
disturb  the  even  balance  of  his  mind,  while  fame  was  powerless  to 


PRESIDENT  McKINLEY    DELIVERING  HIS  EULOGY  ON    GENERAL  GRANT 

swerve  him  from  the  path  of  duty.  Great  as  he  was  in  war,  he  loved 
peace,  and  told  the  world  that  honorable  arbitration  of  differences 
was  the  best  hope  of  civilization. 

"  With  Washington  and  Lincoln,  Grant  had  an  exalted  place  in  Honored 
the  history  and  the  affections  of  the  people.  To-day  his  memory  is 
held  in  equal  esteem  by  those  whom  he  led  to  victory  and  by  those 
who  accepted  his  generous  terms  of  peace.  The  veteran  leaders  of 
the  Blue  and  Gray  here  meet  not  only  to  honor  the  name  of  Grant, 
but  to  testify  to  the  living  reality  of  a  fraternal  national  spirit  which 
has  triumphed  over  the  differences  of  the  past  and  transcends  the 
limitations  of  sectional  lines.  Its  completion  —  which  we  pray  God 
to  speed  —  will  be  the  nation's  greatest  glory. 


Gray 


1772 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  vii 


STATES 


"  It  is  right,  then,  that  General  Grant  should  have  a  memorial 
commensurate  with  his  greatness,  and  that  his  last  resting-place 
should  be  the  city  of  his  choice,  to  which  he  was  so  attached  in  life 
and  of  whose  ties  he  was  not  forgetful  even  in  death.  Fitting,  too, 
is  it  that  the  great  soldier  should  sleep  beside'  the  noble  river  on 


MAYOR   STRONG    DELIVERING    HIS  ADDRESS 

whose  banks  he  first  learned  the  art  of  war,  and  of  which  he  became 
master  and  leader  without  a  rival. 

"But  let  us  not  forget  the  glorious  distinction  with  which  the 
metropolis  among  the  fair  sisterhood  of  American  cities  has  honored 
his  life  and  memory.  With  all  that  riches  and  sculpture  can  do  to 
render  the  edifice  worthy  of  the  man,  upon  a  site  unsurpassed  for 
magnificence,  has  this  monument  been  reared  by  New  York  as  a 


CHAP,  xcvi       McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1773 

perpetual  record  of  his  illustrious  deeds,  in  the  certainty  that,  as  PERIOD  vn 
time  passes,  around  it  -will  assemble,  with  gratitude  and  reverence  ^j^J^" 
and  veneration,  men  of  all  climes,  races,  and  nationalities.  ,  STATES 

"  New  York  holds  in  its  keeping  the  precious  dust  of  the  silent 
soldier,  but  his  achievements — what  he  and  his  brave  comrades 
wrought  for  mankind — are  in  the  keeping  of  seventy  millions  of 
American  citizens,  who  will  guard  the  sacred  heritage  forever  and 
forevermore." 

Mayor  Strong,  who  presided,  introduced  Gen.  Horace  Porter,  the 
president  of  the  Grant  Monument  Association,  who  spoke  as  follows : 

"  It  is  all  like  a  dream.  One  can  scarcely  realize  the  lapse  of  General 
time  and  the  memorable  events  which  have  occurred  since  our  hero  Addresl 
President  was  first  proclaimed  one  of  the  great  of  earth  The  dial 
hands  upon  the  celestial  clock  record  the  flight  of  more  than  a  gen 
eration  since  the  legions  of  America's  manhood  poured  down  from 
the  hilltops,  surged  up  from  the  valleys,  knelt  upon  their  native  soil 
to  swear  eternal  allegiance  to  the  Union,  and  went  forth  to  seal  the 
oath  with  their  blood  in  marching  under  the  victorious  banners  of 
Ulysses  S.  Grant.  To-day  countless  numbers  of  his  contemporaries, 
their  children,  and  their  children's  children  gather  about  his  tomb  to 
give  permanent  sepulture  to  his  ashes  and  to  recall  the  record  of  his 
imperishable  deeds. 

"  It  is  peculiarly  fitting  that  this  memorial  should  be  dedicated  in 
the  presence  of  the  distinguished  soldier  who  marched  in  the  victori 
ous  columns  of  his  illustrious  chief,  and  who  now  so  worthily  oc 
cupies  the  chair  of  state  in  which  he  sat.  There  is  a  source  of  ex 
treme  gratification  and  a  profound  significance  in  the  fact  that  there 
are  in  attendance  here  not  only  the  soldiers  who  fought  under  the 
renowned  defender  of  the  Union  cause,  but  the  leaders  of  armies 
who  fought  against  him,  all  uniting  in  testifying  to  the  esteem  and 
respect  which  he  commanded  from  friend  and  foe  alike. 

"  This  grateful  duty  which  we  discharge  this  day  is  not  unmixed  Grief  be- 
with  sadness,  for  the  occasion  brings  vividly  to  mind  the  fatal  day    Q^fj.^ 
on  which  his  generous  heart  ceased  to  beat,  and  recalls  the  grief     Death 
which  fell  upon  the  American  people  with  a  sense  of  pain  which 
was  akin  to  the  sorrow  of  a  personal  bereavement;  and  yet  it  is  not 
an  occasion  fqr  tears — not  a  time  to  chant  requiems  or  display  the 
sable  draperies  of  public  mourning. 

"  He  who  lies  within  the  portals  of  yonder  tomb  is  not  a  dead 


DAY 

UNDERTHE  ROSES 
THE  BLUE; 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1775 


memory;  he  is  a  living  real 
ity.  He  has  been  consigned 
to  the  chamber  of  death,  but 
not  to  the  realms  of  forgetful- 
ness.  Our  grief  is  calmed  by 
the  recollection  of  the  bless 
ings  his  life  conferred  and  the 
fame  he  has  left  to  the  custody 
of  his  fellow-citizens. 

"  We  consecrate  this  day  a 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  de 
parted  worth.  The  story  of  his 
life  is  the  history  of  the  most 
eventful  epoch  in  his  country's 
annals.  Upon  an  occasion  such 
as  this  it  would  seem  more 
fitting  to  stand  silent  by  the 
tomb  and  let  history  alone 
speak,  but  it  has  been  deemed 
proper  that  living  witnesses  to 


PERIOD  vii 

THE  NEW 

UNITED 
STATES 


GENERAL   DODGE 


GENERAL    BUTTERFIELD 

his  virtues  should  pay  the  grateful 
tribute  of  their  testimony.  The 
allotment  of  time  permits  only 
a  brief  allusion  to  the  achieve 
ments  of  his  marvellous  career. 
"  Ulysses  S.  Grant  sprang 
from  the  loins  of  the  American 
people  and  derived  his  patent 
of  nobility  direct  from  God. 
He  possessed  an  abiding  con 
fidence  in  the  honesty  and  in 
telligence  of  his  fellow  country 
men,  and  always  retained  his 
deep  hold  upon  their  affections. 
Even  when  clothed  with  the 
robes  of  the  master  he  forgot 
not  that  he  was  still  the  servant 
of  the  people.  In  every  great 
crisis  he  was  content  to  leave 
the  efforts  to  his  countrymen 


ASer- 
vant.of 

the 
People 


1776 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  VII 

THE  NEW 
UNITED 
STATES 


Always 

Facing 

the 

Front 


A  Com- 
mander 
Of  Him 
self 


and  the  results  to  God.  As  a  commander  of  men  in  the  field  he 
manifested  the  highest  characteristics  of  the  soldier,  as  evinced  in 
every  battle  in  which  he  was  engaged,  from  Palo  Alto  to  Appomat- 
tox.  He  was  bold  in  conception,  fixed  in  purpose,  and  vigorous  in 
'execution.  •  He  never  allowed  himself  to  be  thrown  on  the  defensive, 
but  always  aimed  to  take  the  initiative  in  battle.  He  made  armies 
and  not  cities  the  objective  points  of  his  campaigns.  Obstacles 
which  would  have  deterred  another  seemed  only  to  inspire  him  with 
greater  confidence,  and  his  soldiers  soon  learned  to  reflect  much  of 
his  determination. 

"  His  motto  was,  'When  in  doubt,  move  to  the  front.'  His  sword 
always  pointed  the  way  to  an  advance :  its  hilt  was  never  presented 
to  an  enemy.  He  once  wrote  in  a  letter  to  his  father,  'I  never  ex 
pect  to  have  an  army  whipped,  unless  it  is  badly  whipped  and  can't 
help  it.'  He  enjoyed  a  physical  constitution  which  enabled  him  to 
endure  every  form  of  fatigue  and  privation  incident  to  military  ser 
vice  in  the  field.,  His  unassuming  manner,  purity  of  character,  and 
absolute  loyalty  inspired  loyalty  in  others,  confidence  in  his  methods, 
and  gained  him  the  devotion  of  the  humblest  of  his  subordinates. 

"  He  exhibited  a  rapidity  of  thought  and  action  on  the  field  which 
enabled  him  to  move  with  a  promptness  rarely  ever  equalled,  and 
which  never  failed  to  astonish,  and  often  to  baffle,  the  best  efforts 
of  a  less  vigorous  opponent. 

"  A  study  of  his  martial  deeds  inspires  us  with  the  grandeur  of 
events  and  the  majesty  of  achievement.  He  did  not  fight  for  glory, 
but  for  national  existence  and  the  equality  and  rights  of  men.  His 
sole  ambition  was  his  country's  prosperity.  His  victories  failed  to 
elate  him.  In  the  despatches  which  reported  his  triumphs  there 
was  no  word  of  arrogance,  no  exaggeration,  no  aim  at  dramatic 
effect.  With  all  his  self-reliance  he  was  never  betrayed  into  im 
modesty  of  expression. 

"  He  never  underrated  himself  in  a  battle,  he  never  overrated 
himself  in  a  report.  He  could  not  only  command  armies,  he  could 
command  himself.  Inexorable  as  he  was  in  battle,  war  never 
hardened  his  heart  or  weakened  the  strength  of  his  natural  affections. 
He  retained  a  singularly  sensitive  nature,  a  rare  tenderness  of  feeling ; 
shrank  from  the  sight  of  blood,  and  was  painfully  alive  to  every  form 
of  human  suffering. 

"While  his  career  as  a  soldier    eclipsed  by  its   brilliancy  his 


1778  HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 

PERIOD  vii  achievements  as  a  statesman,  yet  when  we  sum  up  the  events  of  the 
Ty^NEw    eight  years  during  which  he  was  President  of  the  Republic,  their 
STATES      magnitude  and  importance  challenge  comparison  with  those  of  any 
other  Chief  Magistrate  since  the  inauguration  of  the  Government. 
When  he  took  the  helm  of  State  the  country  was  in  a  condition  of 
ferment  and  disorganization,  which  is  always  consequent  upon  a  long- 
continued  civil  war. 

The  «  The  Fifteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution  had  not  yet  been 

Southern 
Problem   ratified  by  the  States.     In  the  South  secret  societies  and  armed 

bands  of  lawless  men  were  creating  terror  and  defeating  the  ends  of 
justice.  The  prosperity  of  the  country  was  still  lagging,  the  public 
debt  was  oppressive,  and  inflationists  and  repudiators  were  weaken 
ing  the  national  credit.  Our  merchant  marine  had  dwindled  to  a 
mere  shadow  of  its  former  self;  political  rancor  had  envenomed 
whole  sections  of  the  country,  Indian  wars  were  brewing,  unsettled 
disputes  with  foreign  powers  threatened  the  national  peace,  and  the 
new  Chief  Magistrate  was  confronted  with  problems  so  formidable 
that  they  were  enough  to  appall  the  stoutest  heart  and  discourage  the 
most  hopeful  mind. 

"  In  the  letter  of  acceptance  of  his  nomination  for  the  Presidency 
'  he  uttered  one  of  the  sublimest  sentences  ever  penned  by  states 
man's  hand,  'Let  us  have  peace.'  Of  all  the  many  aphorisms  which 
emanated  from  him,  this  has  been  deemed  the  most  fitting  to  engrave 
indelibly  over  the  portals  of  his  tomb.  It  is  typical  of  his  nature 
and  emblematic  of  the  eternal  peace  enjoyed  by  his  soul. 

"  He  began  his  administration  vigorously  and  firmly,  but  he  de 
clared  that  he  would  have  'no  policy  of  his  own  to  enforce  against 
the  will  of  the  people.'  In  his  first  inaugural  address  he  urged 
measures  to  strengthen  the  public  credit  and  give  to  the  world  an 
His  unquestionable  pledge  of  financial  honesty.  His  early  experience 
for  the  among  the  Indians  while  he  was  serving  on  the  frontier  had  emi- 
Indians  nentjy  fitted  him  for  inaugurating  practical  methods  for  improving 
their  condition. 

"  He  took  up  earnestly  the  work  of  civilizing  and  Christianizing 
them,  placing  them  on  reservations,  treating  them  as  wards  of  the 
nation,  and  fitting  them  for  ultimate  citizenship,  and  thus  avoided 
wars  and  saved  vast  sums  of  money.  Under  his  administration  the 
Fifteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution  was  ratified  and  all  the 
States  were  readmitted  to  the  Union.  In  1 870  he  recommended  the 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1779 

refunding  of  the  national  debt,  and  an  act  was  passed  soon  after  pro-  pERI0.pvn 
viding  for  bonds  at  four  per  cent.,  a  much  reduced  rate  of  interest,  Tum?^ 
and  they  were  successfully  negotiated. 

"  For  the  first  time  in  our  history  he  brought  about  a  genuine  re 
form  in  our  civil  service,  and  in  the  face  of  the  most  persistent  op 
position  organized  the  first  civil  service  board. 

"  At  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities,  while  many  eminent  and  ex-  -His  True 
perienced  public  men  were  declaring  that  the  war  would  last  but  a     t^of " 
few  months,  and  orators  were  waving  their  white  handkerchiefs  and    the  War 
proclaiming  that  they  were  large  enough  to  wipe  up  all  the  blood 
which  would  be  shed  in  the  coming  struggle,  Grant  announced  his 
belief  that  the  war  would  continue  for  years,  and  that  preparations 
should  be  made  commensurate  with  its  formidable  proportions. 

"  He. wrote  a  letter  from  the  field  to  E.  B.  Washburne,  in  which 
he  said:  'It  became  patent  to  my  mind  early  in  the  rebellion  that 
the  North  and  South  could  never  live  at  peace  with  each  other  ex 
cept  as  one  nation,  and  that  without  slavery.  As  anxious  as  I  am 
to  see  peace  established,  I  would  not,  therefore,  be  willing  to  see  any 
settlement  until  this  question  is  forever  settled.' 

"  Before  any  battles  had  been  fought  he  said  to  a  staff  officer:  *I 
believe  that  Virginia  will  be  the  'principal  field  of  military  opera 
tions  in  this  rebellion,  that  the  cavalry  will  play  an  important  part 
in  that  section  of  the  country,  and  that  the  decisive  battle  in  the 
war  will  occur  there.'  This  prediction  was  verified  in  every  particu 
lar.  When  it  was  represented  that  Kentucky  would  remain  neutral, 
Grant  declared  that  no  State  could  remain  neutral  in  a  national  war 
of  such  magnitude,  and  that  it  would  be  taken  possession  of  by  the 
troops  of  one  side  or  the  other,  and  he,  without  awaiting  orders, 
promptly  threw  his  command  into  Kentucky  to  gain  the  vantage- 
ground  and  hold  that  important  territory. 

"  In  his  proclamation  issued  at  the  time  he  spoke  with  the  true 
bluntness  of  the  soldier,  saying:  'I  have  nothing  to  do  with  opin 
ions,  and  shall  deal  only  with  armed  rebellion  and  its  aiders  and 
abettors.' 

"  When  the  enemy  came  out  of  Fort  Ponelson  and  attacked  him,   A  Patrt- 
no  one  could  divine  the  object  of  the  movement.     He  promptly  or-     soldier 
dered  the  haversacks  of  the  dead  to  be  examined,  and,  finding  they 
were  well    filled,  said:     'Men  defending  a  fort  don't  carry  three 
days'  rations  when  making  a  charge  unless  they  are  trying  to  get 


1780  HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 

PERIOD vii   away,'  and,  after  driving  them  back,  sent  word:    'I  propose  to  move 
T^NEW    immediately  upon  your  works. ' 

STATES          «  AS  earjy  as  faQ  capture  of  Vicksburg  he  expressed  entire  con 
fidence  in  the  belief  that  it  was  not  a  military  necessity  to  deal 
harshly  with  the  enemy,  and  that  all  possible  leniency  should  be 
shown  to  the  Southern  people,  as  they  would  soon  again  become  our 
Mag-  *  fellow-countrymen.     He  therefore  treated  the  prisoners  with  every 
nity   consideration,  paroled  the  officers  and  men,  and  issued  this  char 
acteristic  order :     'The  garrison  will  march  out  to-morrow.      Instruct 
your  commands  to  be  quiet  and  orderly  as  the  prisoners  pass  by,  and 
make  no  offensive  remarks.' 

"  He  early  foresaw  that  to  overcome  the  rebellion  it  was  not  only 
necessary  to  maintain  large  armies  in  the  field,  but  to  have  a  vigor 
ous  support  of  the  war  in  the  Northern  States.  Over  a  million  of 
loyal  voters  were  absent  at  the  front,  and  thus  deprived  of  the  right 
of  suffrage,  and  prevented  from  offsetting  by  their  votes  the  votes  of 
the  disloyal  element  in  the  North,  and  he  wrote  a  remarkable  letter 
to  the  Secretary  of  War,  setting  forth  a  plan  in  great  detail,  provid 
ing  a  method  which  would  enable  the  soldiers  to  vote  in  the  field. 

"  The  plan,  accompanied  as  it  was  by  such  checks  and  safeguards 
that  the  votes  would  be  entirely  free  and  untrammelled,  so  strongly 
commended  itself  to  the  authorities  that  it  was  carried  out,  and 
proved  a  complete  success.  At  Appomattox  it  was  a  nice  question 
of  judgment  as  to  what  terms  to  accord  to  the  opposing  army.  Civil 
warfare  is  always  the  most  bitter. 

"  The  worst  feelings  had  been  engendered ;  the  war  had  claimed 
as  a  sacrifice  the  best  blood  of  the  country ;  the  land  was  filled  with 
mourning ;  the  excitement  was  at  fever  heat,  and  there  was  in  many 
quarters  a  vindictiveness  which  prompted  the  harshest  treatment 
permissible  in  civilized  warfare. 

Chivldrv  "  General  Grant,  without  consulting  higher  authority  and  without 
hesitation,  took  the  responsibility  of  according  lenient  treatment 
and  avoiding  unnecessary  offence.  He  did  not  demand  Lee's  sword, 
and  allowed  the  men  to  take  their  horses  home  'to  work  their  little 
farms,'  and  when  the  Union  batteries  began  to  fire  triumphal  salutes 
he  sent  out  an  order,  saying:  'The  war  is  over,  the  rebels  are  our 
countrymen  again,  and  the  best  way  to  rejoice  after  the  victory  will 
be  to  abstain  from  all  demonstrations  in  the  field.' 

"  With  his  uncommon  range  of  mental  vision,  he  foresaw  that  the 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1781 


granting  of  these  conditions  would  induce  other  armies  throughout 
the  South  to  accept  the  same  terms,  and  thus  prevent  a  guerilla  war-  THE  NEW 
fare  from  being  carried  on  for  an  indefinite  period  in  the  interior, 
and  would  induce  such  influential  men  as  Lee  and  other  Confederate 
army  commanders  to  use  their  influence  in  aiding  in  the  rehabilita 
tion  of  the  Southern  States. 

"  He  was  quicker  than  any  one  else  to  see  that  reconstruction 


THE    NAVAL    PARADE— "THE   TALBOT,"  WAR-SHIP  (ENGLISH    NAVY) 

would  be  a  task  almost  as  formidable  as  the  suppression  of  armed 
rebellion.  He  refrained  from  entering  the  captured  capital,  did  not 
even  step  within  the  enemy's  lines,  and  shrank  from  every  act  which 
might  make  him  appear  to  pose  as  a  conqueror. 

"  When  President  Johnson,  soon  after  the  war,  inaugurated  his  His  High 
campaign  for  making  treason  odious,  and  when  indictments  were     Honor 
brought  in  the  Federal  courts  against  Lee  and  other  ex- Confederate 
officers,  Grant  foresaw  that  if  such  a  course  were  pursued  it  would 
be  interpreted  as  a  gross  breach  of  faith  and  a  violation  of  the  terms 
given  in  the  paroles;  that  it  would  lead  to  exciting  trials,   which 
would  last  for  years,  be  a  constant  source  of  irritation,  and  probably 
compel  the  Government  to  hold  the  Southern  States  for  a  long  time 


1782 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  vii  as  conquered  territories,  while  he  believed  that  every  effort  should 
THE  NEW    be  made  to  bring  them  back  into  the  Federal  Union. 

UNITED 

STATES  «  pjjs  judgment  was  so  clear  upon  this  subject  that  he  declared  his 
intention  to  resign  his  commission  in  the  army  if  his  prisoners  were 
not  protected.  The  result  was  the  quashing  of  the  indictments  and 
the  creation  of  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  South  to  accept  the 
results  of  the  war. 

"  As  President  he  showed  in  his  first  inaugural  that  he  foresaw 


The  Real 

Tribunal 

of  the 

Future 


THE  NAVAL  PARADE— "THE  FULTON,"  CORVETTE  (FRENCH  NAVY) 

the  financial  errors  which  were  likely  some  day  to  be  advocated  when 
he  wrote:  'To  protect  the  national  honor  every  dollar  of  Govern 
ment  indebtedness  should  be  paid  in  gold,  unless  otherwise  expressly 
stipulated  in  the  contract.  .  .  .  Let  it  be  understood  that  no  repudi- 
at'or  of  one  farthing  of  our  public  debt  will  be  trusted  in  public  life.' 
"Twenty  years  ago  he  said :  'At  some  future  day  the  nations  of 
the  earth  will  agree  upon  some  sort  of  congress  which  shall  take 
cognizance  of  international  questions  of  difficulty,  and  whose  deci 
sions  will  be  as  binding  as  the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  is  upon 
us.'  The  spirit  of  the  age  seems  to  be  gradually  tending  towards  a 
fulfilment  of  that  prediction. 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1783 


STATES 


"  Early  in  his  first  Presidential  term  he  took  vigorous  measures  PERIOD  vn 
to  have  competent  surveys  made  for  an  inter-oceanic  canal,  believing 
that  it  was  essential  in  connecting  our  extensive  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
coasts  by  a  shorter  water  route.  His  foresight  told  him  that  it  was 
impossible  to  defend  such  a  canal  in  case  of  war  unless  we  had  a 
commodious  naval  station  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

"  He  realized  the  fact  that  other  nations  held  possession  of  forti 
fied  islands  from  Bermuda  to  the  West  Indies  ;  he  believed  that  we 


THE   NAVAL   PARADE-"  THE  DOGAU,"  WAR-SHIP  (ITALIAN    NAVY) 

would  some  day  build  a  competent  navy,  and  that  we  would  be  greatly 
embarrassed  by  not  having  even  a  coaling-station  on  any  of  the 
islands  in  the  Gulf.  He  therefore  negotiated  a  treaty  for  securing 
possession  of  San  Domingo,  with  its  magnificent  Bay  of  Samana, 
which  would  afford  a  harbor  for  the  largest  navy  afloat. 

"  The  treaty  gave  us,  virtually  without  cost,  an  island  occupying   The  San 
a  commanding  position,    rich  in  many  products  necessary  to  this     Treaty* 
country,  and  with  so  sparse  a  population  that  there  were  only  seven 
inhabitants  to  the  square  mile.     The  Senate  defeated  the  treaty  by 
depriving  it  of  the  necessary  two-thirds  vote  upon  the  question  of  its 
ratification. 


1784 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  vii 


STATES 


"  Now,  twenty-seven  years  thereafter,  when  we  have  an  ironclad 
navv  and  have  begun  an  inter-oceanic  canal,  have  '  recently  been 
threatened  with  grave  complications  in  Cuba,  Venezuela,  and  else 
where,  there  are  few  patriotic  American  citizens  who  do  not  regret 
that  at  that  important  crisis  the  President's  policy  did  not  prevail. 

"  In  defining  the  qualities  of  public  men,  it  has  been  said  that  the 
politician  looks  forward  to  his  next  election,  the  statesman  looks  for- 


THE   NAVAL   PARADE—  "INFANTA    ISABELLA,"  WAR-SHIP  (SPANISH    NAVY) 

s 

ward  to  the  next  generation.     Measured  by  this  definition,  Grant 
manifested  the  highest  order  of  statesmanship. 

"  He  was  naturally  of  a  hopeful  disposition  and  cheerful  mind, 
A  Victim  anc^  entered  heartily  into  social  gayeties,  but  there  were  periods  in 
ofDe-     his  life  when  his  heartstrings  were  attuned  to  strains  of  sadness. 
He  underwent  physical  hardships  and  mental  tortures  which  would 
have  crushed  a  character  less  heroic.     Like  other  conspicuous  lead 
ers,  it  was  his  fate  to  suffer  the  bitter  experience  of  detraction,  mis 
representation,  and  betrayal. 

"It  may  be  said  of  him,  as  was  said  of  a  predecessor:  'There 
were  times  when  twenty  men  applied  for  the  same  office,  and  after 
he  had  reached  a  selection  he  found  that  he  had  made  nineteen 


CHAP.  XLVI      McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1785 


enemies  and  one  ingrate.'     He  was  assailed  more  bitterly  than  any  PERIOD  vu 
one  who  ever  sat  in   the  chair   of    State,    save   Washington.     He    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

was  brought  to  realize  that  'reproach  is  a  concomitant  to  great 
ness,  as  satire  and  invective  were  an  essential  part  of  a  Roman 
triumph,'  and  to  learn  that  in  public  life  'all  honors  wound,  the  last 
one  kills.' 

"  Envy  and  malice  made  him  at  times  the  target  for  their  poi-     . 


THE  NAVAL  PARADE— THE  TORPEDO  BOAT   PORTER,"  U.  S.  N. 


soned  shafts,  but  their  fragments  fell  at  his  feet  as  shattered  as  the 
reputations  of  those  who  aimed  them,  and  even  the  wrath  of  his 
enemies  may  now  be  counted  in  his  praise. 

"  General  Grant  was  a  man  who  seemed  to  be  created  especially    A  man 
to  meet  great  emergencies'.     It  was  the  very  magnitude  of  the  task  &>r  Great 
which  called  forth  the  powers  that  mastered  it.     Whether  leading    gencies 
an  attack  in  Mexico,  dictating  the  terms  of  surrender  to  countless 
thousands  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  suddenly  assuming  a  vast 
responsibility  in  great  crises  both  in  peace  and  in  war,  writing  state 
papers  as  President  which  were  to  have  a  lasting  bearing  upon  the 
policy  of  the  Government,  travelling  through  older  lands  and  min 
gling  with  the  descendants  of  a  line  of  kings  who  rose  and  stood  un 
covered  in  his  presence — he  was  always  equal  to  the  occasion,  and 

114 


1786 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 


PERIOD  vii  acquitted  himself  with  a  success  that  challenges  the  admiration  of 
THE  NEW    the  world. 

UNITED 

"  In  trivial  matters  he  was  an  ordinary  man ;  in  momentous  affairs 
he  towered  as  a  giant.  As  Johnson  said  of  Milton,  'He  could  hew 
a  Colossus  from  the  rocks  ;  he  could  not  carve  faces  on  cherry-stones.' 

"Even  his  valor  on  the  field 'of  carnage  was  not  superior  to  the 
heroism  he  displayed  when  in  his  fatal  illness  he  confronted  the 


His 
Patience 


THE   NAVAL    PARADE-UNITED   STATES   AND   FOREIGN    WAR-SHIPS 

only  enemy  to  whom  he  ever  surrendered.  His  old  will  power  re 
asserted  itself  in  his  determination  to  complete  his  memoirs.  Dur 
ing  whole  months  of  physical  torture  he  with  one  hand  held  death  at 
arm's  length  while  with  the  other  he  penned  the  most  brilliant 
chapter  in  American  history. 

"  It  is  twelve  years  since  he  left  the  living  here  to  join  the  other 
living,  commonly  called  the  dead,  and  the  laurel  on  his  brow  was 
intertwined  with  the  cypress.  His  last  words,  uttered  at  the  close 
of  his  agonizing  illness,  were  eminently  characteristic  of  his  patience 
and  his  consideration  for  others  :  'I  hope  no  one  will  be  distressed 
on  my  account.' 

"  Now  that  more  than  a  decade  has  passed  since  he  stood  •mong 


CHAP,  xcvi      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1787 


THK  NEW 
UNITED 
STATES 


us,  we  can  form  a  better  estimate  of  his  character  than  when  he  was  PERIOD  vii 
close  by.  Time  has  shed  a  clearer  light  upon  his  acts;  he  has 
reached  a  higher  altitude ;  distance  has  brought  him  into  the  proper 
focus,  and  the  picture  upon  which  we  now  look  appears  in  its  true 
proportions.  We  see  his  traits  moulded  into  perfect  symmetry  and 
blended  into  majestic  harmony. 

"  A  tree  can  best  be  measured  when  it  is  down. 

"  He  reached  the  highest  pinnacle  of  human  distinction.     Men 


THE    NAVAL    PARADE— TORPEDO    BOAT    " GUSHING,"  U.  S.  N. 

have  dwelt  upon  his  achievements  till  they  know  them  all  by  heart. 
The  record  of  his  deeds  rises  to  the  sublimity  of  an  epic.  The  story 
of  his  life  is  worthy  the  contemplation  of  his  greatness.  He  did  his 
duty  and  trusted  to  history  for  his  meed  of  praise. 

"The  more  history  discusses  him  the  more  brilliant  becomes  the 
lustre  of  his  name.  He  was  a  natural  leader;  he  was  born  to  com 
mand.  He  was  one  of  the  men  who  'mark  the  hours  while  others 
only  sound  them.'  No  one  can  rob  him  of  a  single  laurel ;  no  one 
can  lessen  the  measure  of  his  renown.  He"  honored  the  age  in  which 
he.  lived,  and  future  generations  will  be  illumined  by  the  brightness 
of  his  fame. 


His 
Fame 
Secure 


T788  HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvi 

PERIOD  vii       "  His  countrymen  have  paid  him  a  tribute  of  grateful  hearts ;  they 
THE  NEW    have  reared  in  monumental  rock  a  sepulchre  for  his  ashes,  a  temple 

UNITED 

STATES  to  his  fame.  The  fact  that  it  has  been  built  by  the  voluntary  con 
tributions  of  the  people  will  give  our  citizens  an  individual  interest 
in  preserving  it,  in  honoring  it.  It  will  stand  throughout  the  ages 
upon  this  conspicuous  promontory,  this  ideal  site.  It  will  overlook 

Tomb  the  metropolis  of  the  Republic  which  his  efforts  saved  from  dismem 
berment;  it  will  be  reflected  in  the  noble  waters  of  the  Hudson, 
upon  which  pass  the  argosies  of  commerce,  so  largely  multiplied  by 
the  peace  secured  by  his  heroic  deeds. 

"  They  owed  a  sacred  duty  which  they  could  not  fail  to  perform. 
They  have  reared  his  monument  to  a  majestic  height;  but  if  it 
towered  above  the  eagle's  flight  it  would  not  reach  as  high  as  the 
summit  of  his  fame.  Its  flawless  granite  is  typical  of  the  spotless 
character  of  his  reputation.  Its  delicate  lines  and  massive  propor 
tions  will  remind  us  of  the  childlike  simplicity  which  was  mingled 
with  the  majestic  grandeur  of  his  nature. 

"  The  hallowed  memories  clustering  about  it  will  recall  the  heroic 
age  of  the  Republic.  Its  mute  eloquence  would  plead  for  equal 
'  sacrifice  should  war  ever  again  threaten  the  nation's  life.  In  this 
tomb,  which  generosity  has  created  and  which  his  services  have 
sanctified,  his  ashes  will  henceforth  rest,  but  his  true  sepulchre  will 
be  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen. 


CHAPTER   XCVII 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION- 
CONTINUED) 


-1837-1901 


[Authorities:  If  the  brocard,  "  Figures  don't  lie,"  be  true,  this  chapter  should  be  one 
of  the  most  valuable  in  the  entire  work.  It  consists  largely  of  statistics  from  which  the 
thoughtful  student  may  make  many  interesting  deductions.  An  illustration  of  the  way 
in  which  an  expert  statistician  can  extract  from  an  array  of  tabulated  facts  expressed  by 
figures  interesting  and  striking  information  is  furnished  by  citations  from  an  article  in 
The  North  American  Review  by  Mr.  Mulhall. 

One  of  our  own  writers  on  political  economy  has  discussed  in  a  very  able  manner  one 
of  the  subjects  to  which  Mr.  Mulhall  alludes — the  relation  at  various  times  between  the 
urban  and  the  rural  population.  In  the  fabled  "Golden  Age"  of  the  Romans,  there 
were  no  cities.  Everyone  lived  in  peace  and  ^contentment  with  his  flocks  and  herds. 
The  political  economist  referred  to  insists  that  poverty,  vice,  and  crime  increase  only 
when  men  leave  the  country  and  collect  in  urban  masses.  In  the  early  history  of  a  coun 
try  nobody  is  very  rich  or  very  poor,  but  every  one  who  will  put  forth  proper  effort  can 
provide  sustenance  for  himself  and  those  dependent  upon  him.  Mr.  Mulhall's  deduc 
tions  seem  to  confirm  the  theory  that  as  civilization  advances  "the  rich  become  richer 
and  the  poor  poorer."  It  is  a  matter  worthy  of  the  most  careful  investigation.  If  the 
theory  be  true,  however,  there  is  no  apparent  remedy. 

For  the  material  in  this  chapter,  the  author  is  much  indebted  to  The  North  American 
Review^  Henry  Gannett,  and  Orren  M.  Donalson,  in  The  Irrigation 


of  Maine,  the 


N  view  of  the  financial  depression  existing  throughout 
the  country,  and  with  the  purpose  of  securing  what 
was  deemed  to  be  the  necessary  tariff  legislation, 
the  President  convened  Congress  in  extraordinary 
session,  on  Monday,  March  15.*  Hon.  Thomas 
Brackett  Reed,  of  Maine,  was  again  chosen  Speaker, 
and  the  task  of  framing  the  new  tariff  bill  was  en 
trusted  to  Representative  Nelson  Dingley,  Junr., 
hairman  of  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee. 


*The  first  "  extra"  session  of  Congress  was  called  for  May  15,  1797,  on  account  of 
troubles  with  France;  the  second  was  for  October  17,  1803,  because  of  the  secret  cession 


Extra 
Session 

of 

Con 
gress 
called 


1790 


HISTORY    OF  THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


PERIOD  VII 

THE  NEW 
UNITED 
STATES 


Tariff 

Bill 
passed 
by  the 
House 


When  the  McKinley  administration  came  into  power,  it  was  con 
fronted  by  a  deficiency  of  revenue  amounting  to  more  than  $200,000,. 
ooo,  all  of  which  had  accumulated  during  the  preceding  four  years. 

Secretary  Carlisle  estimated  in 
his  last  annual  report  that 
$45,000,000  would  be  added  to 
this  by  the  ist  of  July,  1897. 
This  deficiency  was  due  to  a  fall 
ing  off  in  receipts  from  duties 
on  imports,  which  amounted  to 
more  than  $60,000,000  per  an 
num. 

The  problem,  therefore,  was 
so  to  revise  the  tariff  laws  as  to 
restore  the  revenue  that  was 
lost  by  the  revision  of  1894. 
This  important  task  was  com 
mitted  to  the  able  representa 
tive,  Nelson  Dingley,  Junr.,  of 
Maine,  chairman  of  the  Ways 
and  Means  Committee.  Mr. 
Dingley  has  explained  that, 

without  indulging  in  any  mere  theories,  he  aimed  to  meet  the  con 
ditions  thrust  upon  us. 

This  tariff  bill,  which  is  essentially  a  Republican  measure,  passed 
the  House,  March  3ist,  by  a  vote  of  205  to  122.  All  the  Republi 
cans  present  voted  for  the  bill,  and  were  joined  by  five  Southern 
Democrats  and  one  Populist.  Twenty -one  Populists  and  five  Silver 
Republicans  refused  to  vote.  An  amendment  was  adopted,  providing 
that  the  new  rates  shall  apply  to  goods  which  were  not  purchased  and 

of  Louisiana  by  Spain  to  France,  whereby  New  Orleans  was  proclaimed  closed  as  a  place 
of  deposit  for  merchandise;  the  third  was  for  October  26,  1807,  the  cause  being  the  firing 
upon  the  Chesapeake  by  the  Leopard;  the  fourth  was  for  the  4th  of  November,  1811,  be 
cause  of  threatened  complications  with  Great  Britain;  t'le  fifth  was  for  September  19, 
1814,  because  of  questions  connected  with  the  war;  the  sixth  was  for  September  4,  1837, 
because  of  the  stress  produced  by  the  hard  times;  the  seventh  was  for  May  31,  1841,  be 
cause  of  the  condition  of  the  revenues  and  finances  of  the  country  ;  the  eighth  was  for 
August  21,  1856,  to  make  provision  for  the  army;  the  ninth  was  for  July  4,  1861,  be 
cause  of  the  Civil  War;  the  tenth  was  for  October  15,  1877,  for  the  purpose  of  passing 
the  army  and  deficiency  bill;  the  eleventh  was  for  March  18,  1879,  in  order  to  make  the 
necessary  preparation  for  legislation  at  the  regular  session;  the  twelfth  was  for  August 
7t  1893,  with  a  view  of  relieving  the  general  financial  distress  throughout  the  country. 


NELSON    DINGLEY,    JR. 


CHAP,  xcvii       McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1791 


THE  NEW 
UNITED 
STATES 


N.  W.  ALDRICH 


Tariff 
Bill 
ised 
jy  the 
Senate 


pass 
byt 


ordered  to  be  shipped  to  this  country  prior  to  April  I,  1897,  the  ob-  PERIOD  vn 
ject  being  to  prevent  an  excessive  importation  of  goods  at  lower  rates 
than  are  levied  by  this  bill. 

The  tariff  bill  was  taken  up  in  the  Senate,  May  24,  and  was  under 
consideration  for  seven  weeks.  Mr.  Aldrich  opened  the  debate  with 
a  speech,  May  25,  and  the  discussion  continued  until  July  7,  when 
the*  bill  was  passed  by  a  vote  of  38  to  28.  Naturally  numerous 
points  of  difference  developed,  and  the  bill  went  to  conference,  whose 
report  came  up  before  the  Senate  on  July  20,  and  was  debated  until 
3  o'clock,  July  24,  when  by  unanimous  consent  the  vote  was  taken. 
The  passage  of  the  bill  was  by  a  vote  of  40  to  30,  the  majority  being 
the  same  as  that  of  the  original  bill.  The  affirmative  vote  included 
37  Republicans,  one  Democrat  (McEnery),  one  Silver  Republican 
(Jones  of  Nevada),  and  one  Populist  (Stewart).  The  negative  vote 
was  cast  by  28  Democrats  and  two  Populists  (Harris  and  Turner). 

The  bill  was  promptly  carried  to  the  House,  where  Speaker  Reed 
signed  the  measure,  his  an 
nouncement  of  having  done  so 
being  received  with  Republican 
applause.  Then  the  document 
was  taken  back  to  the  Senate, 
where  Vice-President  Hobart 
wrote  his  name  under  that  of 
Speaker  Reed.  The  bill  was 
immediately  carried  to  the 
White  House  by  Chairman 
Dingley  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee.  President 
McKinley,  in  company  with 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Gage, 
Attorney  -  General  McKenna, 
Postmaster- General  Gary,  and 
Secretary  of  Agriculture  Wil 
son,  was  waiting  in  the  Cabi 
net  room.  At  four  minutes 

past  four  o'clock  the  Presidential  signature  was  attached,  and  the 
tariff  bill  became  the  law  of  the  land. 

Great  hopes  were  entertained  of  the  beneficent  results  of  this 
measure  which  had  been  so  long  under  consideration.  The  business 


1792 


HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


STATES 


PERIODVII  of  the  country  had  been  unsettled  for  several  years,  and  the  financial 
depression  and  distress  were  more  general  than  ever  before.     It  was 
the  uncertainty  that  made  capital  timid  and  acted  as  a  blight  upon  in 
dustry    and    enterprise    every 
where.     The    indications    now 
pointed  to  a   universal   revival 
of    business   and  the  return  of 
the     blessed     boon     of    "good 
times." 

On  the  day  that  the  bill  be 
came  law,  Representative  Ding- 
ley  signed  the  following  note 
worthy  expression  of  his  view  : 
"  The  country  has  reason  to 
rejoice  over  the  final  enactment 
into  law  to-day  of  a  tariff  bill. 
Framed,  as  it  is,  to  secure  ade* 
quate  revenue  for  carrying  on 
the  Government,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  with  duties  so  ad 
justed  as  to  open  up  new  oppor 
tunities  for  our  own  labor,  the 


W.  B.  ALLISON 


Repre 
sentative 
Ding- 
ley's 
Views 


law  will  relieve  the  country  of  the  uncertainty  that  has  existed,  and 
set  the  wheels  of  business  in  motion. 

"  It  means  the  beginning  of  that  prosperity  that  was  displaced  in 
1892,  after  thirty  years'  continuance.  This  law  will  give  increased 
opportunities  to  American  labor,  afford  the  masses  a  purchasing 
power  which  they  have  lost  under  the  conditions  of  the  past  four 
years — a  purchasing  power  which  will  enable  them  to  buy  more  of 
the  farmer,  more  of  the  merchant,  more  of  the  manufacturer,  and 
more  of  every  producer  in  the  land.  Then  confidence  will  return, 
prices  will  begin  to  rise  to  a  paying  point,  and  prosperity  set  in  upon 
our  country.  The  operations  of  the  law  will  increase  our  revenues 
to  that  point  where  every  expenditure  will  be  met,  and  there  will  be 
a  surplus  left  with  which  the  Government  can  resume  the  payment  of 
the  principal  of  the  public  debts. 

"  As  to  the  increase  in  duties  in  the  present  law  compared  to  for 
mer  bills,  the  largest  increase  has  been  made  in  the  duty  on  sugar, 
partly  for  revenue  and  partly  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  the  pro- 


CHAP,  xcvn      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1793 

\ 

duction  of  our  own  sugar.  It  is  this  increase  which  raises  the  aver-  PERIOD  vn 
age  equivalent  ad  valorem  apparently  above  that  of  the  tariff  in  1890,  T«*  NK^ 
in  which  sugar  was  free.  STATES 

"  We  have  heard  much  reckless  denunciation  of  the  proposed  tariff 
as  'the  highest  ever  known/  but,  as  a  matter  of  f^ct,  the  average 
ad  valorem  of  the  tariff  of  1824  was  50^  per  cent,  and  61^  per 
cent,  in  1830,  48^  per  cent,  in  1867,  and  this,  too,  before  under 
valuation  became  a  science." 

At  the  same  time  Senator  Allison  expressed  himself  in  the  fol 
lowing  cheering  words : 

"  My  estimate  of  revenues  for  this  fiscal  year  from  tariff  schedules 
is  from  $177,000,000  to  $180,000,000,  and  from  rebate  on  beer  and 
cigarettes,  $5,000,000  more. 

"If  internal  revenue  receipts  shall  amount  to  $160,000,000,  as 
I  think  they  will,  excluding  the  above,  and  miscellaneous  receipts  /[fuson's 
the  same  as  for  last  year,  the  revenues  will  equal  expenditures,  or  Views 
within  five  or  ten  millions,  and  inasmuch  as  many  items  of  appropri 
ation,  notably  those  for  rivers  and  harbors  and  public  buildings,  and 
for  the  navy,  are  in  a  measure  discretionary,  if  revenues  should  fall 
short  a  few  millions,  expenditures  can  easily  be  curtailed  to  make 
revenues  and  expenditures  equal;  or  there  will  be  no  harm  in  using 
five  or  ten  millions,  or  even  more,  from  the  surplus  in  the  Treasury, 
as  after  this  year  the  bill,  under  ordinary  and  normal  conditions, 
will  yield  ample  revenue. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  the  passage  of  the  bill  will  have  the  immedi 
ate  effect  of  reviving  our  industries,  as  the  uncertainty  which  has 
prevailed  for  the  last  few  months  as  respects  both  sales  and  pur 
chases  of  raw  materials  of  production  will  have  passed  away,  and 
both  will  be  made  freely,  in  the  belief  that  we  are  to  have  stable 
conditions  for  at  least  four  years. 

"  Furthermore,  now  that  our  own  people  will  have  full  opportu 
nity  for  competition  with  foreign  producers,  they  will  be  able  to  fur 
nish  the  markets  very  largely  as  compared  with  the  last  few  years. 
Labor,  securing  steady  and  constant  employment,  will  be  steady 
purchasers  of  things  they  need  and  do  not  produce." 

The  Dingley  tariff  bill  does  not  please  everybody;  no  such  bill 
can  ever  be  framed.  But  it  meets  with  general  concurrence,  and  will 
probably  be  final  for  a  goodly  number  of  years  to  come.  Particular 
schedules  are  likely  to  be  changed  in  order  to  meet  changing  condi- 


I794  HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

1 

PERIOD  vii  tions,  but  such  modifications  can  hardly  be  important  enough  to  fur- 
THE  NEW    nish  issues  to  great  national  parties.     The  people  feel  that  a  tariff 

UNITED  A  t  *• 

STATES  policy  having  been  established,  business  prudence,  except  so  far  as 
specific  changes  in  -schedules  may  prove  desirable,  requires  that  it 
be  let  alone. 

An  agreement  made  by  the.  Dawes  Commission  with  the  represen- 

,  tatives  of  the  Choctaw  and  Chickasaw  tribes  foreshadows  the  break- 
Work  of 

the       ing  up  of  the  old  order  of  things   in   the   Indian  Territory.     This 


agreement  allows  the  tribal  governments  to  continue  for  eight  years 
mission  from  March  4,  1898,  the  delay  in  the  dissolution  being  intended  to 
allow  time  for  the  operation  of  the  great  changes  provided  for,  includ 
ing  the  allotment  of  lands  in  severalty,  and  the  admission  of  In 
dians  to  citizenship  on  the  expiration  of  their  tribal  existence.  The 
Cherokees  at  present  strongly  oppose  this  change,  but  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  they  and  the  Creeks  and  Seminoles  will  ultimately  con 
sent,  with  the  result  that  the  whole  tribal  system,  with  community 
of  lands,  will  disappear  from  among  the  Five  Tribes. 

The  country  was  stirred  during  the  summer  of  1  897  by  the  re 
ports,  which  proved  well  founded,  of  the  discovery  of  enormous  de 
posits  of  gold  on  the  Yukon  River  in  Alas'ka.  Two-score  veteran 
miners  went  into  the  region  the  previous  fall,  not  one  of  whom  pos 
sessed  more  than  his  outfit  and  a  few  hundred  dollars.  When  they 
came  out,  each  brought  from  $5,000  to  $90,000,  while  many  left 
behind  them  claims  valued  at  $20,000  to  $1,000,000,  which  were  to 
be  worked  by  their  partners.  Naturally  it  was  believed  at  first  that 
these  reports  were  greatly  exaggerated,  but  the  display  of  the  gold 
itself  by  the  returning  miners  removed  all  doubt  of  the  amazing  rich 
ness  of  the  new  find. 

A  company  of  these  fortunate  individuals  reached  Seattle,  July 

17     direct    from  St.  Michael's,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon,  where 

Klondike  tne^  ^ad  been  at  work  in  the  Klondike  placer-mining  districts,  from 

Gold       which  more  than  $1,500,000  in  gold  was  taken  the  previous  winter. 

The  party  brought  back  one  and  one-half  tons  of  gold  in  nugget  and 

dust,  worth  in  round  numbers  $1,000,000. 

The  Klondike  is  a  river  flowing  into  the  Yukon,  in  the  North 
west  Territory.  The  distance  is  fifty  miles  by  river  from  Forty 
Mile,  on  the  Alaska  boundary,  to  the  scene  of  the  latest  finds,  and 
about  forty  miles  in  a  direct  line.  A  poor  miner  named  George 
W.  Cormack  was  the  discoverer  of  the  Klondike  placer  diggings,  tne 


CHAP,  xcvn      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1795 


first  claim  being  staked  at  Bonanza  Creek,  emptying  into  the  Klon-  PERIQDVII 
dike,  August  17,  1896.     Within  the  following  year  400  cjaims  were 
located,  and  the  camp  grew  to  5,000  population.     The  days  of  the 
Argonauts  in  California  had  come  again. 

James  Ladue,  who  had  lived  in  Alaska  for  fifteen  years,  was  the 


STATES 


MAP  OF  THE   KLONDIKE    GOLD    DIGGINGS    AND   VICINITY 

founder  of  Dawson  City.  He  built  the  first  house  and  raised  the 
first  American  flag.  The  population  soon  grew  to  several  thousands, 
but  with  the  aid  of  the  Canadian  Government  there  was  very  little 

Dawson 

lawlessness.     The  town,  beautifully  situated  on  the  Yukon,  near  the      City 
mouth  of  the  Klondike,  promises  to  become  the  mining  centre  of  the 
Northwest  Territory.     The  creeks  comprising  the  bonanza  districts 
are  Bonanza,  Eldorado,  Victoria,  Adams,  McCormack,  Reddy  Bui- 


1796 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


PERIOD  vn  lion,  Nugget  Gulch,   Bear,   Balder,  and  Chee-Chaw-Ka.      The   Main 
THE  NEW    Fork,  Hunker,  and  Gold  Bottom  creeks  are  in  the  Hunker  district. 

UNITED 

STATES  Mrs.  Tom  Lippy  was  the  first  woman  who  crossed  the  divide  and 
passed  into  the  new  Klondike  camp.  She  accompanied  her  husband 
to  Eldorado  Creek,  where  they  lived  in-  a  tent  until  a  small  log-cabin 
was  built.  One  reason  for  the  absence  of  lawlessness  is  that  the 
Canadian  Government  does  not  permit  men  to  carry  sidearms.  All 
miners  when  they  enter  the  district  are  disarmed  by  the  police. 


IN    ALASKA   WATERS,  STEAMING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

Dr.  W.  H.  Dall,  one  of  the  curators  of  the  National  Museum, 
Washington,  has  spent  much  time  in  Alaska  on  geographical  expedi 
tions  and  is  thoroughly  informed  regarding  the  country.  His  state 
ment,  therefore,  regarding  the  newly  discovered  Klondike  gold-fields 
is  of  value  and  importance.  • 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  facts  as  told  by  the  press  are  in  the  main 
Location  strictly  correct.  The  Klondike  gold-fields,  however,  are  not  in  Alas- 
^an  territory.  They  are  in  the  British  provinces,  in  what  is  known 
as  the  Northwest  Territories.  The  Klondike  River,  which  has  been 
on  the  map  for  about  twenty  years,  but  not  under  that  name,  branches 
from  the  Yukon  River  not  far  from  the  boundary  between  Canada 
and  Alaska. 

"  The  nearest  way  to  reach  the  Klondike  River,  which  is  a  very 


Gold- 
Fields 


CHAP,  xcvn      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1797 


small  one,  and  the  gold-fields  is  from  Chilkoot  Inlet.     Steamers  run  PERIOD  vii 
from  Sitka  there  and  from  Seattle  and  Tacoma.     The  distance  from    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

the  head  of  Chilkoot  Inlet  to  the  Klondike  is  about  500  miles.     To      STATES 
reach  there  it  is  necessary  to  cross  the  coast  mountains  and  the  chain 
of  lakes  and  short  streams  which  form  the  headwaters  of  the  Yukon 
River.     It  is  on  these  streams  that  the  gold  is  found.     The  country 
is  a  rolling  one,  covered  with  grass. 

"  There  is  a  short,  hot  summer  of  about  four  months,  with  prac- 


SUNSET  IN  LYNN  CANAL,  ALASKA 

tically  no  spring  or  autumn.  The  ice  begins  to  break  up  in  the  rivers 
about  May  25,  and  navigation  commences  on  the  Yukon  about  the 
first  week  in  June.  It  begins  to  get  very  cool  by  the  latter  part  of 
September,  and  is  almost  winter  weather  by  the  first  of  October.  The 
winter  is  very  cold  and  dry,  with  not  more  than  three  feet  of  snow. 
There  is  only  about  three  inches  of  rainfall  during  the  winter,  and 
not  more  than  a  foot  or  ten  inches  the  whole  year  around. 

"  It  is  a  country  in  which  it  is  very  hard  to  find  food,  as  there  is 
practically  no  game.  Before  the  whites  went  into  the  region  there 
were  not  more  than  300  natives.  They  have  hard  work  to  support 
themselves  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  game. 


Scarcity 
of  Food 


1798 


HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


PERIODVII       "The  thermometer  sometimes  goes  down  to  68°  below  zero  in. 

THE  NEtt    January  and  February.     The  cold,  however,  is  not  so  intense  as  may 

STATES     ke  imagined,  and  68°  there  could  not  be  compared  with  the  same 

here.     The  dress  is  mostly  of  furs  in  the  winter,  that  used  by  the 

-  natives,  and  unless  there  is  a  sharp  wind  blowing  one  may  keep  fairly 

comfortable. 

"  When  I  was  on  the  Yukon  I  did  not  find  gold,  but  knew  of  it 
being  taken  out  in  profitable  quantities  for  fifteen  years  or  more. 


The 

Gold- 

Bearing 

Belt 


JUNEAU,  ALASKA,— VIEW    FROM    STEAMER 

It  was  first  discovered  there  in  1866.  In  1880,  when  I  was  up  in 
that  country,  my  last  trip  having  been  made  two  years  ago,  the  first 
party  of  prospectors  who  made  mining  profitable  started  out.  The 
gold  is  found  on  the  various  tributaries  of  the  Yukon,  and  I  Lave 
been  within  a  comparatively  short  distance  of  the  Klondike  fields. 
I  made  one  trip  to  Circle  City. 

"  The  gold-bearing  belt  of  Northwestern  America  contains  all  the 
gold-fields  extending  into  British  Columbia  and  what  is  known  as 
the  Northwest  Territories  and  Alaska.  The  Yukon  really  runs  along 
ir.  .hat  belt  for  500  or  600  miles.  The  bed  of  the  main  river  is  in 
the  valley. 

"  The  yellow  metal  is  not  found  in  paying  quantities  in  the  main 
river,  but  in  the  small  streams  which  cut  through  the  mountains  on 


i8oo 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


PERIOD  vii  either  side.     Mud  and  mineral  matter  are  carried  into  the  main  river, 
THE  NEW    while  the  sold  is  left  on  the  rough   bottoms  of  these  side  streams. 

VNITED 

STATES  jn  most  cases  the  gold  lies  at  the  bottom  of  thick  gravel  deposits. 
The  gold  is  covered  by  frozen  gravel  in  the  winter.  During  the  sum 
mer,  until  the  snow  is  all  melted,  the  surface  is  covered  by  muddy 
torrents.  When  summer  is  over  and  the  springs  begin  to  freeze,  the 
streams  dry  up.  '  At  the  approach  of  winter,  in  order  to  get  at  the 
gold,  the  miners  find  it  necessary  to  dig  into  the  gravel  formation. 
"  There  are  two  routes  to  the  fields,  one  which  I  have  mentioned 


BIRD'S-EYE   VIEW   OF    SITKA,  ALASKA 

before,  from  Chilkoot  Inlet  over  the  mountains.  This  is  about  500 
miles.  The  other  is  up  the  Yukon  River,  which  is  about  1,500 
miles  in  length,  or  three  times  as  far  as  the  other.  Flat-bottomed 
steamers  run  from  St.  Michael's  up  the  Yukon.  The  return  trip 
from  the  fields  is  much  easier,  and  has  been  taken  by  the  miners  who 
have  made  their  piles  and  recently  returned  to  the  United  States 
with  them  by  way  of  Seattle. 

"  The  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Company  runs  steamers  every  four 
Difficul-    days  from  Seattle.     The  manner  in  which  supplies  can  be  transport- 
Trans-    ed  over  the. mountains  is  by  mules,  taking  time  arid  expense.      As 
portation  j  remarked  before,  it  is  a  country  in  which  there  is  practically  no 
sustenance,  and  food  must  be  taken  to  the  gold-fields." 

Dr.  Dall  said  that  the  natives  are  peaceable.     He  is  sanguine  as 

v 


CHAP,  xcvn       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1801 

to  the  outcome  of  the  gold  discovery  from  what  he  knows  about  the  PERIOD  VH 
country,  and  he  does  not  assert,  as  many  others  do,  that  the  reports  THE  NEW 
from  Klondike  are  greatly  exaggerated.  .     STATES 

If  anything  more  is  needed  to  prove  that  the  United  States  is 
among  the  greatest  nations  of  ancient  or  modern  times,  such  proof 
is  furnished  by  a  careful  study  of  the  latest  statistics  of  our  country.  T, 

The  well-known  English  statistician,  Michael  G.  Mulhall,  in  a  Greatest 
recent  article  in  The  North  American  Review  on  "  The  Power  and  Nations 
Wealth  of  the  United  States,"  says : 

"  If  we  take  a  survey  of  mankind  in  ancient  or  modern  times  as 
regards  the  physical,  mechanical,  and  intellectual  force  of  nations, 
we  find  nothing  to  compare  with  the  United  States  in  this  present 
year  of  1895,  and  that  the  United  States  possess  by  far  the  greatest 
productive  power  in  the  world." 

What  a  striking  tribute  is  rendered  by  this  intelligent  Englishman 
in  his  statement  that  the  absolute  effective  force  of  the  American 
people  is  now  more  than  three  times  what  it  was  in  1 860,  and  that 
the  United  States  possess  almost  as  much  energy  as  Great  Britain, 
Germany,  and  France  collectively,  and  that  the  ratio  falling  to  each 
American  is  more  than  what  two  Englishmen  or  Germans  have  at 
their  disposal.  He  shows  by  a  careful  comparison  between  the  con 
ditions  in  these  different  countries  that  an  ordinary  farm  hand  in 
the  United  States  raises  as  much  grain  as  three  in  England,  four  in 
France,  five  in  Germany,  or  six  in  Austria.  One  man  in  America 
can  produce  as  much  flour  as  will  feed  250,  whereas  in  Europe  one 
man  feeds  only  30  persons. 

Mr.  Mulhall  proves  further  that  the  intellectual  power  of  the 
great  republic  is  in  harmony  with  the  industrial  and  mechanical, 
eighty-seven  per  cent,  of  the  total  population  over  ten  years  o/  age 
being  able  to  read  and  write. 

"It  maybe  fearlessly  asserted,"  says  he,  "that  in  the  history  of       Q 
the  human  race   no  nation    ever    before  possessed   41,000,000    in-  Intellect- 
structed  citizens."-  Power 

The  Post-Office  returns  are  appealed  to  by  Mr.  Mulhall  in  sup 
port  of  this  part  of  his  statement,  these  showing  that,  in  the  num. 
ber  of  letters  per  inhabitant  yearly,  the  United  States  are  much 
ahead  of  all  other  nations. 

According  to  the  figures  of  Mr.  Mulhall  the  average  annual  in- 


1802 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


PERIOD  vii  crement  of  the  United  States  from  1821  to  1890  was  nine  hundred 

TH!NEW    and  one  millions  of  dollars,  and  he  adds  that   "the  new  wealth 

STATES      added  during  a  single  generation — that  is,  in  the  period  of  thirty 

years  between  1860  and  1890 — was  no  less  than  forty-nine  milliards 


GENERAL    POST    OFFICE,  NEW    YORK 


Urban 

and 

Rural 

Wealth 


of  dollars,  which  is  one  milliard  more  than  the  total  wealth  of  Great 
Britain." 

Classifying  the  whole  wealth  of  the  Union  under  the  two  heads, 
urban  and  rural,  Mr.  Mulhall  finds  that  rural  or  agricultural  wealth 
has  only  quadrupled  in  forty  years,  while  urban  wealth  has  multi 
plied  sixteenfold.  Before  1860  the  accumulation  of  wealth  for  each 
rural  worker  was  greater  than  that  corresponding  to  persons  of  the 
urban  classes ;  but  the  farming  interests  suffered  severely  by  reason 
of  the  Civil  War,  and  since  then  the  accumulation  of  wealth  among 


CHAP,  xcvn      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1803 


urban  workers  has  been  greatly  more  than  that  among  rural  workers,  PERIOD  vu 
a  fact  which  Mr.  Mulhall  thinks  explains  the  influx  of  population    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

into  towns  and  cities.  STATES 

In  a  series  of  figures  Mr.  Mulhall  shows  that  the  "  rise  in  wealth 
and  increase  in  wages  came  almost  hand  in  hand."  In  dealing  with 
the  development  of  farm  values,  he  makes  the  following  statement : 


MAP   SHOWING    THE    LOUISIANA    PURCHASE 

"  If  the  United  States  had  no  urban  population  or  industries  what 
ever,  the  advance  of  agricultural  interests  would  be  enough  to  claim 
the  admiration  of  mankind,  for  it  has  no  parallel  in  history." 

Mr.  Henry  Gannett,  in  his  book  "  The  Building  of  a  Nation,"  has 
grouped  together  a  remarkable  collection  of  facts  about  the  popu 
lation,  industries,  and  resources  of  our  country,  which  are  of  the 
highest  importance. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  at -the  close  of  the  Revolution  our 
territory  was  limited  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi,  and  on  the 


1804  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  south  by  the  northern  boundary  of  Florida.     To  this  was  added  the 
T«^NEW    Louisiana  purchase  in  1803,  which  brought  to  us  1,171,931  square 
STATES      miles,  if  we  include  the  present  States  of  Oregon,  Washington,  and 
Idaho,  which,  though  not  a  part  of  the  purchase,  were  acquired  as  the 
direct  result  through  occupation  and  settlement.     Following  this, 
in  1821,  came  the  Florida  purchase  of  59,268  square  miles,  costing 
Gr     th    $5>ooo>oo°;  then,  in  1845,  the  annexation  of  Texas,  375,239  square 
of        miles;    in  1848,  the  Mexican  cession  of  545,783  square  miles,  cost- 
°ry  ing  $15,000,000;'  in  1853,  the  Gadsden  purchase,  at  the  southern 
part  of  what  are  now  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  45,535  square  miles, 
costing  $10,000,000;    in  1867,  Alaska,  570,000  square  miles,  cost 
ing  $7,200,000.     Thus,    for  about  $50,000,000  in  money,  our  do 
main  grew  from  827,844  square  miles  in  1790  to  3,603,884  square 
miles  in  1870  and  to-day.* 

But  a  most  striking  fact  is  that  as  the  population,  which  was  only 
3,929,214  in  1790,  had  increased  to  62,622,250  on  June  I,  1890, 
and,  indeed,  including  the  people  of  Alaska  and  the  Indians  not  then 
counted,  to  about  63,000,000,  the  density  of  population  had  grown 
far  more  than  the  area.  The  latter  was  in  1890  about  four  and  a 
half  times  that  of  a  century  before,  and  yet  the  density  of  popula 
tion,  in  1790  only  4.75  inhabitants  per  square  mile  on  the  average, 
had  increased  to  17.37  per  square  mile  in  1890,  even  with  the  vast 
untenanted  regions  of  Alaska  to  bring  down  the  average. 

But  the  comfortable  growth  still  possible  is  shown  by  the  fact 

Growth    that  while  our  country  is  nearly  as  large  as  all  Europe,  it  is  exceeded 

Popula-    in  density  of  population  by  every  country  of  Europe  except  Russia 

and  Norway.      And  the  most  populous   countries  are  from  ten  to 

twenty  times  as  thickly  settled.  v 

The  land  surface  of  the  United  States  has  two  systems  of  uplift, 

*  There  are  remaining  in  1897  only  three  Territories  in  the  United  States,  exclusive 
of  the  District  of  Columbia,  the  Indian  Territory,  and  Alaska,  which  does  not  yet  dream 
of  Statehood.  The  three  Territories  are  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Oklahoma.  The 
area  of  Arizona  is  113,000  square  miles,  of  New  Mexico,  122,000  square  miles,  and 
Oklahoma,  with  No-Man's  Land,  39,000  square  miles.  The  present  population  of 
Arizona  is  about  70,000,  of  New  Mexico,  175,000,  and  of  Oklahoma,  105,000.  There  is 
a  general  sentiment  that  these  three  Territories  should  be  joined  together  and  admitted 
as  one  State.  They  would  have  a  land  area  slightly  more  than  that  of  Texas,  but  with 
only  one-tenth  of  its  population.  This  action  would  remove  most  of  the  objection  to  the 
separate  admission  of  the  States.  The  Republicans  oppose  the  Statehood  of  New 
Mexico  and  Arizona  because  of  their  predominant  silver  sentiment,  while  the  Democrats, 
who  formerly  favored  their  admission,  now  dislike  the  preponderance  it  would  add  to  the 
States  long  ago  admitted. 


1806  HISTORY     OF   THE  UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  the  Appalachian  and  the  Cordilleran  or  Rocky,  and  with  the  great 
THE  NEW    stretch  of  the  country  in  both  latitude  and  longitude,  there  is  a 
STATES      wonderful  variety  of  climate,  soil,  and  vegetation.     Nowhere,  per 
haps,  have  the  forces  of  nature  been  exerted  upon  a  more  marvellous 
scale,  eroding  cafions  and  gorges,  forming  vast  basalt  plains,  and 
changing  trunks  of  trees  to  amethyst,  opal,  chalcedony,  and  quartz 
M       .     crystal.      The  hot  springs  and  geysers  for  number  and  magnitude 
lous       completely   eclipse   those    of   all    the   rest   of  the  world  together. 
Nature     Where  Iceland  has  two  or  three  active  geysers,  petty  by  compari 
son,  Yellowstone  !*ark  alone  has  hundreds.     There  are  thousands 
of  hot  springs,  some  of  them  covering  areas  of  many  acres,  and  the 
amount  of  boiling  water  ejected  from  the  earth  is  almost  incredible. 
The  temperature  of  the  country  in  the  East  is  fairly  uniform,  con 
sidering  the  range  of  latitude,  etc.,  but  in  the  mountain  region  of 
the  West  there  are  great  excesses.     "  At  Yuma,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Colorado  River,  the  temperature  in  summer  often  exceeds  115°, 
and  when  it  falls  to  100°  people  put  on  their  flannels.      On  the  other 
hand,  in  Montana,  temperatures  of  52°  below  zero  have  been  repeat 
edly  recorded;    although  on  the  whole  the  climate  of  Montana  is 
exceptionally  mild,  considering  its  latitude  and  altitude. "     Taking 
the  whole  land  together,  "  it  is  one  of  the  wettest  and  one  of  the 
dryest  countries  on  the  globe ;    it  is  one  of  the  hottest  and  one  of 
the  coldest. " 

The  approximate  area  of  the  public  lands,  excluding  Alaska,  being 
reckoned  at  1,440,000,000  acres,  we  find  that  up  to  June  30,  1892, 
873,000,000  acres  had  been  alienated;  about  130,000,000  in  home 
steads,  224,000,000  in  cash  sales,  79,000,000  in  railway  land  grants 
patented,  70,000,000  in  swamp-lands  to  States,  61,000,000  in  land 
bounties  for  military  service,  etc.  Of  the  567,000,000  acres  re 
maining,  perhaps  100,000,000  must  be  allowed  for  Indian  reserva 
tions  and  about  103,000,000  for  grants  to  railroads  not  yet  patented. 
Most  of  the  lands  not  taken  up  are  mountainous  or  arid. 

China  is  the  most  populous  country  on  the  globe,  with  360,000,- 

Rankin   °°°  to  385,000,000  people ;    India  is  the  next ;   then  Russia;  while 

Popula-    fourth    comes    our  country,   and    fifth  is   Germany.     Our  land  has 

doubled  its  population  in  the  last  thirty  years,  while  in  the  same 

period  France  has  increased  3  per  cent.,  and  Great  Britain  anc  fre- 

land  29  per  cent.     Maine  and  Vermont  are  practically  not  increasing, 

and  Nevada  has  been  actually  decreasing.     In   1790,  Virginia  was 


T8o8  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  the  most  populous  State  in  the  Union,  with  Pennsylvania  second. 
THE  NEW    New  York  in  1810  reached  the  second  place,  and  in   1820  the  first 

UNITED 

STATES  place,  Virginia  then  being  second.  In  1830,  Pennsylvania  pushed 
up  to  second  place  again,  and  has  held  it  ever  since.  In  1 790  the 
third  place  was  occupied  by  North  Carolina;  between  1840  and 
1880  it  was  held  by  Ohio;  while  in  1890  Illinois  secured  it.  At 
that  census,  New  York  showed  5,997,853  people;  Pennsylvania, 
5,258,014;  Illinois,  3,826,351  ;  Ohio,  3,672,316.  Missouri  was  fifth 
with  2,679,184. 

The  centre  of  population  in  1790  was  about  23  miles  east  of  Bal- 

The       timore;    in  1800,  about  1 8 -miles  west  of  Baltimore;    in  1810,  about 
Popula-    4°  miles  northwest  of  Washington;    in  1820,  about  16  miles  north 

tion  of  Woodstock,  Va.  ;  in  1830,  about  19  miles  southwest  of  Moorefield, 
W.  Va.  ;  in  1840,  16  miles  south  of  Clarksburg,  W.  Va. ;  in  1850, 
23  miles  south  of  Parkersburg,  W.  Va. ;  in  1860,  20  miles  south  of 
Chillicothe,  Ohio;  in  1870,  48  miles  east  of  Cincinnati;  in  1880, 
8  miles  west  of  Cincinnati;  in  1890,  20  miles  east  of  Columbus, 
Ind.  Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  feature  in  this  march  is  the 
directness  of  its  westerly  progress.  In  the  full  century  it  has  not 
varied  half  a  degree  from  a  due  west  direction,  or  gone  north  or 
south  of  a  belt  about  25  miles  broad.  Yet  in  this  century  it  has 
moved  across  more  than  nine  meridians,  or  a  distance  of  505  miles 
westward.  In  comparison  with  the  centre  of  population  we  may  note 
the  centre  of  area,  which,  excluding  Alaska,  is  in  the  northern  part 
of  Kansas. 

An  arbitrary  rule  must  be  followed,  of  course,   in   determining 

Ratio      what  is  urban  and  what  is  rural  population.     The  census  office  treats 

of  Urban  as  urban  all  concentrated  bodies  exceeding  8,000  in  number.     On 
andRural 
Popula-    that  basis  it  finds  that  while  in  1790  the  urban  population  was  but 

tlon  131,472,  and  the  rural  3,797,742,  a  century  later  the  former  had 
increased  to  18,284,385,  while  the  latter  was  44,337,865.  The  pro 
portion  of  urban  to  total  population  in  1790  was  3.35,  whereas  in 
1890  it  had  reached  29.20.  In  fact,  in  1790  this  country  contained 
but  six  cities  of  more  than  8,000  people  each,  while  a  century  later 
it  had  443.  The  total  population  had  become  16  times  as  great, 
but  the  urban  population  1 39  times  as  great.  The  North  Atlantic 
States  contain  the  greatest  proportion  of  the  urban  element,  51.81 
per  cent.,  Rhode  Island  leading  off  with  78.80,  followed  by  Massa 
chusetts  with  69.90,  and  New  York  59.50. 


CHAP,  xcvn       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1809 


In  1870  there  were  but  14  cities  of  more  than  100,000  inhabitants 
each.  In  1880  there  were  20,  and  in  1890  there  were  28.  These 
cities  combined  had  9,788,150  people,  or  15.6  per  cent,  of  the  whole 
population.  There  were  1 1  cities  at  the  last  census  that  exceeded 
250,000  each.  Mr.  Gannett  notes  that  within  a  radius  of  fifteen 
miles  of  the  City  Hall  of  New  York,  and  tributary  to  that  city  as 
the  metropolitan  district  is  to  London,  live  three  and  a  quarter  mil 
lions  of  people,  or  enough  to  make  it  the  second  city  in  size  upon 
the  globe,  as  shown  by  the  creation  of  Greater  New  York. 

The  average  size  of  families  has  diminished  from  5.55  persons  in 
1850  to  4.93  in  1890,  which  is  over  1 1  per  cent.  The  highest  aver 
age  is  in  the  Southern  States,  due  primarily  to  the  large  proportion 
of  colored  people,  among  whom  the  birth  rate  is  exceptionally  great. 
But  the  families  of  the  whites  in  the  South  are  also  larger  than  the 
average,  and  even  equal  those  of  the  North  Central  States,  where  the 
Germans,  Norwegians,  and  Swedes  increase  the  average. 

As  to  sexes,  the  males  in  the  year  1890  numbered  32,067,880, 
and  the  females  30,554,370.  This  is  a  larger  proportion  of  males 
than  in  1850  or  in  1860.  The  facts  show,  it  is  said,  a  tendency  to 
an  increase  in  the  proportion  of  males,  which  has  exceeded  that  of 
females  certainly  during  the  last  forty  years,  although  the  tendency 
received  a  set-back  during  the  Civil  War,  from  which  it  is  now 
recovering.  A  table  shows  that  in  Europe,  while  the  numbers  of  the 
two  sexes  are  nearly  equal,  the  females  are  in  excess,  the  proportion 
ranging  from  50.58  in  the  Netherlands  to  51.46  in  th'i  United  King 
dom  and  52.10  in  Norway.  Incur  country  the  percentage  of  females 
at  the  last  census  was  48.79,  and  that  of  males  51.21,  the  excess  of 
the  latter  being  ascribed  to  immigration.  No  doubt  emigration 
accounts,  also,  for  some  of  the  figures  in  European  countries ;  yet  in 
Spain,  where  there  is  comparatively  little  of  it,  we  find  but  49.04 
males  to  50.96  females,  and  in  Austria,  where  there  is  not  excessive 
emigration,  48.91  to  51.09. 

Of  course,  the  difference  between  our  own  States  in  this  matter 
is  great.  The  factories  on  the  Atlantic  border  attract  great  numbers 
of  female  operatives,  while  the  outdoor  occupations  of  the  West 
draw  many  males.  In  Montana  there  are  two  males  to  one  female, 
and  nearly  as  great  a  ratio  in  Wyoming-  On  the  other  hand,  in 
New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  both  Carolinas,  females 


PERIOD  VII 

THE  NEW 
UNITED 
STATES 


Average 

Size  of 

Families 


Ratio  of 
Males 

and 
Females 


i8io  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  are  in  excess,  although  this  excess  is  not  great.     In  the  District  of 
THE  NEW    Columbia    they  constitute  52.44  per  cent.,   and  in  Massachusetts. 

UNITED  *  J          t    r 

STATES      which  stands  next,  51.42. 

Of  our  total  of  62,622,250  people  in  the  year  1890  there  were 
7,470,040  of  negro  or  mixed  blood,  including  mulattos,  quadroons, 
and  octoroons.  This  is  a  little  over  12  per  cent.,  and  it  shows  an 

Ne  ro     increase  from  6,580,793  in  1880  and  from  4,880,009  in  1870.     Of 
and       course  the  relative  proportion  of  increase  has  been  greater  for  the 

Races  whites.  The  faulty  character  of  the  census  of  1870  even  aroused 
some  question  as  to  whether  the  colored  element  was  not  relatively 
losing  with  enormous  rapidity.  But  Mr.  Gannett  shows  that  in  the 
thirty  years  preceding  1860  it  increased  48  per  cent,  and  in  the  next 
thirty  years  not  less  than  68.  In  Louisiana  the  colored  people  are 
about  one-half  the  population ;  in  Mississippi  and  South  Carolina, 
nearly  three-fifths ;  in  the  coastwise  States,  from  Virginia  to  Louis 
iana  inclusive,  over  one-third  each.  It  is  declared  that  there  has 
been  a  "  perceptible  southward  movement  of  the  colored  race." 

As  to  the  Chinese,  their  immigration  began  in  1854,  and  averaged 
about  4,000  to  5,000  for  fifteen  years,  when  it  became  more  rapid. 
Agitation  produced  the  Exclusion  Act  of  1882,  with  the  result  that, 
while  the  census  showed  104,168  Chinese  here,  that  of  1890  showed 
106,162,  only  a  very  slight  increase.  The  Indians  numbered  249,- 
273  in  1890,  with  216,706  living  upon  reservations,  and  more  than 
a  third  of  these  were  self-supporting  and  self-governing. 

Of  our  total  population  by  the  census  named,  9,249,547  were  of  for 
eign  birth  and  53,372,703  of  native  birth,  including  the  colored  races. 
The  native  whites  numbered  45,862,023.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  the  changes  have  been  comparatively  small  in  these  proportions 
in  the  last  thirty  years.  The  native  ratio  in  1 860  was  86.44,  °f 
which  73.46  was  white;  the  foreign  was  13.16.  In  1890  the  native 
rat^o  was  85.23,  with  73.24  of  it  white,  and  the  foreign  was  14.77. 
Prior  to  1860  the  native  ratio  was  larger,  being  90. 32,  but  the  native 
white  ratio  is  given  as  only  73.24,  or  precisely  as  at  the  last  census. 
The  leading  industry  of  the  United  States,  if  we  consider  the 
Leading  number  of  persons  employed  and  supported  by  it,  is  agriculture;  but 

tries  if  we  consider  the  value  of  the  product,  it  is  manufactures,  since  the 
latter  in  1890  exceeded  $4,000,000,000,  while  that  of  agriculture 
was  only  $2,460,000,000.  A  very  striking  fact  is  that  in  1880  the 
net  product  of  manufactures  was  $1,973*000,000,  or  less  than  that  of 


CHAP,  xcvn       McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1811 

agriculture,  which  was  $2,213,000,000  at  that  time.      The  enormous  PERIOD  VH 
gain  and  present  status  of  manufactures  certainly  suggest  their  right    T"K  NEW 
to  be  heard  as  an  element  in  the  finance  of  the  country.     The  value      STATES 
of  farms  in  1890  was  $13,276,000,000,  an  increase  of  30  per  cent. 
Farming  tools  and  machinery  brought  the  total  capital  up  to  $13,- 
770,000,000,  which  produced  a  return  of  $2,460,000,000,  or  a  little 
less  than  1 8  per  cent.      The  average  size  of  farms  decreased  from 
203  acres  in  1850  to  134  acres  in  1880,  but  in  1890  it  increased  to 
137  acres. 

Tobacco  is  produced  in  forty-two  States  and  Territories,  but 
nearly  half  the  whole  crop  comes  from  Kentucky.  Virginia,  Ohio,  p  . 

North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  and  .Pennsylvania  are  also  great  produ-     tion  of 

'          /~>  •         •  •  •  i  ttr-  Tobacco 

cers,  as,  too,  are  Connecticut  in  proportion  to  its  area,  and  Wiscon 
sin,  considering  its  latitude. 

Wheat  is  the  most  important  of  our  cereal  crops,  'and  in  the 
famous  year  1891  the  yield  was  612,600,000  bushels,  whereas  India 
produced  only  235,000,000;  France,  231,000,000;  Russia,  186,000,- 
ooo;  Hungary,  119,000,000;  and  Italy,  102,000,000.  That  year  was 
also  a  great  one  for  our  corn,  which  reached  2,060,000,000  bushels, 
falling  off  about  one-fifth  the  following  year.  Of  oats,  during  that 
same  prosperous  year,  the  production  reached  738,000,000  bushels. 
The  rye  crop  is  generally  heavy,  while  barley  and  buckwheat  come 
lower  on  the  list. 

Cotton,  of  course,  is  of  great  importance,  the  maximum  yield,  that 
of  1892,  reaching  9,038,707  bales,  Texas  leading  off  in  virtue  of  its 
area,  while  Georgia  and  Mississippi  are  enormous  producers,  with 
Alabama  following.  Hay  is  a  product  of  vast  value,  that  of  1888 
amounting  to  47,000,000  tons,  valued  at  $408,000,000 ;  and  mention 
must  also  be  made  of  potatoes,  of  which  the  product  in  1888  was 
202,000,000  bushels,  valued  at  $81,000,000. 

The  total  number  of  farm  animals  in  1892  was  169,100,000, 
valued  at  $2,461,000,000.  Horses  led  off,  with  15,500,000  in  num-  Value  of 
ber  and  $1,008,000,000  in  value.  Cows  numbered  16,400,000,  with 
a  value  of  $570,000,000.  The  densest  sheep  population  is  in  Ohio, 
averaging  109  to  a  square  mile,  or  nearly  three  times  as  many  for 
the  area  as  any  other  State.  Of  hogs,  Iowa  has  127  to  the  square 
mile;  Illinois,  85;  Ohio,  69. 

In  about  two-fifths  of  the  area  of  the  country,  excluding  Alaska, 
the  rainfall  is  not  adequate  for  agriculture,  so  that  in  eleven  States 


1812  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  and  Territories  irrigation  is  resorted  to.  The  total  area  irrigated  at 
TH^NEW  thie  date  given  was  3,564,416  acres,  or  about  one-half  of  one  per 
STATES  cent  o£  tne  tota\  areas.  In  two  States,  Colorado  and  California,  the 
irrigated  area  exceeded  one  per  cent. 

Manufactures  have  had  a  rapid  development  in  this  country.  In 
1850  the  capital  employed  was  $533,000,000;  the  hands,  957,000; 
Manu  tne  wa£es>  $237>ooo>oo°;  tne  material,  $555,000,000;  the  gross 
factures  product,  $1,019,000,000 ;  the  net  product,  $464,000,000.  These 
figures  fell  somewhat  short  of  doubling  in  1860.  However,  in  1880 
all  of  them  had  been  more  than  quadrupled,  except  the  number  of 
hands,  which  was  about  tripled.  For  1890,  by  making  approximate 
calculations  from  partial  statistics,  Mr.  Gannett  reaches  these  vast 
figures:  Capital,  $6,180,000,000,  or  nearly  twelvefold  that  of  1850; 
hands  employed,  4,665,000,  or  nearly  fivefold,  in  spite  of  the  intro 
duction  of  labor-saving  machinery ;  wages,  $2,000,000,000,  or  nearly 
ninefold,  thus  making  the  average  wages  far  higher;  gross  product, 
$9,400,000,000,  or  over  ninefold;  material,  $5,000,000,000,  or  nine 
fold  ;  net  product,  $4,400,000,000,  or  nearly  tenfold.  In  ten  years 
the  South  has  made  great  strides  in  manufactures. 

The  average  yearly  wages  of  employees  in  1850  were  $247;  in 
1890  they  were  $429.  The  average  capital  invested  in  each  estab 
lishment  hadv  also  increased  from  $4,000  to  $15,000.  In  1850  the 
proportion  of  net  product  going  to  employees  was  51,  and  to  capital 
49;  in  1890  these  proportions  had  become  45  and  55  respectively. 
But  in  1850  the  proportion  of  net  product  to  capital  was  87,  and, 
minus  wages,  it  was  43;  whereas  in  1890  these  proportions  had 
respectively  diminished  to  71  and  39. 

New  York  is  our  greatest  manufacturing  centre,  with  over 
$750,000,000  of  products  in  1890;  then  follow  Chicago,  with  over 
$600,000,000;  then  Philadelphia.  After  a  long  gap  come  Brooklyn, 
St.  Louis,  Boston,  and  then  Cincinnati. 

Of  steel  we  now  produce  one-fourth  more  than  even  Great  Britain 
Steel 

and  Iron  herself;  and  of  iron  in  1890  and  the  two  years  following  we  pro 
duced  12  per  cent.  more.  On  June  30,  1890,  we  had  562  blast  fur 
naces,  224  of  them  in  Pennsylvania,  and  also  158  steel  works,  about 
half  in  Pennsylvania. 

Of  cotton  factories  we  had  904  in  1890,  with  $354,000,000  capi 
tal,  employing  221,585  hands,  or  an  increase  of  27  per  cent  over 
1880,  and  earning  $66,000,000  in  wages,  an  increase  of  57  per  cent. 


1814  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  The  product  had  risen  to  $268,000,000,  an  increase,  in  ten  years,  of 
THE  NEW    AQ  per  cent.     New  England  carries  on  63  per  cent  of  the  cotton 

UNITED 

STATES     manufactures. 

Woollen  factories  had  in  1890  fallen  off  in  numbers  from  1880, 
but  they  had  increased  their  capital  invested  from  $159,000,00010 
$297,000,000,  their  gross  product  to  $338,000,000,  and  their  wages 
from  $47,000,000  to  $66,000,000,  or  62  per  cent,  although  the  net 
product,  owing  to  the  increased  cost  of  raw  material,  had  scarcely 
increased  at  all. 

There  were  18,536  periodicals  of  all  classes  published  in  1891, 
In  the  same  year  were  produced  44,316,804  gallons  of  whiskey, 
12,260,821  of  alcohol,  24,306,905  of  wines,  1,784,312  of  rum, 
1,223,775  of  fruit  brandy,  and  30,021,079  barrels  of  beer. 

Our  mineral  product  for  1891  is  put  at  $668,524,537,  an  enor 
mous  total.  It  included  $117,106,483^  bituminous  coal;  $128,- 
337,985  in  pig  iron;  Pennsylvania  anthracite,  $73,943,735  ;  building 
stone,  $47,294,746;  silver,  at  coining  value,  $75,416,565;  gold, 
$33>i75>ow>  copper,  value  at  New  York,  $38,455,300;  lime,  $35,- 
000,000;  petroleum,  $32,575,188;  natural  gas,  $18,000,000;  lead, 
$17,609,322;  while  zinc,  cement,  salt,  phosphate  rock,  mineral 
waters,  and  quicksilver  add  to  the  amount.  We  produce  a  third  of 
the  world's  coal  and  one-fourth  of  its  iron,  Great  Britain  alone  ex- 
ceeding  us.  We  produce  one-third  of  the  world's  steel,  surpassing 
her.  We  produced  in  1890  about  28  per  cent,  of  the  world's  gold, 
and  used  to  produce  more,  the  yield  in  1853  being  $65,000,000. 
We  produce  two-fifths  of  the  world's  copper,  and  by  far  the  greatest 
part  of  its  petroleum.  As  to  transportation,  our  railways  have  a 
greater  mileage  than  those  of  all  Europe  combined. 
Wonders  No  student  of  American  history  can  fail  to  glance  ahead  and  won- 

of  the  der  what  the  future  has  in  store  for  us.  Had  any  person  at  the  close 
of  the  Revolution  foretold  our  growth  of  territory  and  population, 
our  inventions,  discoveries,  and  progress,  he  would  have  been  set 
down  as  extremely  optimistic,  if  not  visionary,  and  not  a  tenth  of  his 
prophecy  would  have  been  believed.  So  it  is  a  wild  venture  to 
speculate  about  what  shall  be  a  hundred  or  even  fifty  years  in  ad 
vance.  The  art  of  navigating  in  the  air,  the  substitution  of  electric 
ity  as  the  universal  motor,  the  doubling  and  tripling  of  speed  by 
railways  and  steamboats,  absolute  safety  against  fire,  a  specific  for 
every  disease  (excepting  old  age),  and  the  consequent  lengthening  of 


CHAP,  xcvii      McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1815 


STATES 


human  life,  the  perfection  of  engines  of  war  to  such  a  degree  of  PERIOD  vii 
awful  destructiveness  that  war  shall  become  impossible,  a  greater    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

knowledge  of  the  mysterious  worlds  around  us,  a  deeper  penetration 
of  nature's  secrets — all  these  and  many  more  may  be  set  down  as 
among  the  certainties  of  the  future,  and  many  a  boy  and  girl  now 
reading  these  pages  will  perhaps  live  to  see  their  fulfilment. 

The  number  of  States  to-day  is  forty-five.      At  no  distant  day 
there  will  be  a  hundred,  and  our  population  will  reach  a  billion. 


tion 


MORMON  TEMPLE,  SALT  LAKE  CITY 

As  an  indication  of  what  is  soon  to  come,  a  description  is  here 
given  of  an  amazing  but  practical  scheme  already  put  forward  by 
the  irrigation  experts  of  the  West.  Millions  of  acres  have  'been  Possibil- 
wrested  from  the  desert  and  developed  during  late  years  by  means  of  irriga- 
artificial  irrigation.  It  may  be  said,  indeed,  that  most  of  the  coun 
try  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Sierras  has  been  thus  re 
claimed.  The  deserts  of  sand  and  sage-brush  in  Colorado,  Utah, 
New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Southern  California,  and  other  Western 
States  have  thus  been  transformed  into  fruitful  orchards  and  pro 
ductive  farming  lands.  The  change  is  so  marvellous  as  to  prove 
that  irrigation  is  the  one  and  only  key  that  is  to  unlock  the  real 
wealth  of  the  greater  part  of  the  West. 

Thus  far,  however,  irrigation  has  been  carried  on  in  a  primitive 


1816  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 

PERIOD  vii  way,  in  which  as  much  water  has  been  wasted  as  has  been  utilized, 

THE  NEW    and  being  in  the  hands  of  private  persons,  later  comers  have  been 
STATES     deprived  of  their  water  rights  or  compelled  to  pay  therefor  an  extor 
tionate  price. 

It  is  self-evident  that  the  question  of  irrigation  must  be  considered 
in  the  interests  of  the  people  as  a  whole.  The  main  trouble  is  that 

D.ffl    .     vast  areas  of  the  best  irrigable  lands  in  one  State  depend  for  their 
ties  of     natural  water  supply  on  rivers  that  rise  and  run  for  most  of  their 

Question  length  in  another  State,  which  if  it  chooses  can  cut  off  the  water 
supply  and  use  or  waste  it  all  on  its  own  territory.  Something  of 
this  nature  has  already  occurred,  giving  rise  to  serious  disputes 
between  the  States.  Kansas  asks  whether  her  agriculture  is  to  be 
destroyed  in  favor  of  Colorado's  settlers,  and  Colorado  replies  by 
reversing  the  question,  while  Idaho  and  Utah,  Utah  and  Nevada,  and 
Nevada  and  California  are  wrangling  over  the  same  matter. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  real  trouble  arises  from  the  relations  of 
the  watersheds  of  these  States.  In  the  eastern  half  of  our  coun 
try  natural  boundaries,  such  as  mountains  and  rivers,  were  largely 
used,  but  in  the  western  half  the  state  divisions  are  almost  wholly 
on  the  lines  of  latitude  and  longitude.  Some  of  the  results  are 
amusing.  Thus  in  Arizona,  people  living  north  of  the  Grand  Canon 
can  reach  their  capital  only  by  travelling  several  hundred  miles  out 
of  the  direct  way  and  going  through  other  States,  for  the  Canon  can 
be  passed  only  at  one  point  for  five  hundred  miles  of  its  length. 
The  Rocky  Mountains  cut  into  parts  and  isolate  Montana,  Colorado, 
and  Wyoming.  The  Cascade  Range  divides  Washington  and  Ore 
gon  into  sections  having  no  interests  in  common.  Ingenious  malig 
nity  could  not  have  made  the  various  boundary  lines  more  absurd, 
illogical,  and  mutually  injurious. 

The  irrigation  people  ask  that  the  States  shall  be  mapped  out  on 


System  the  basis  of  topography,  and  that  their  territory  shall  be  founded  on 
undivided  water  systems  or  drainage.  As  bounded  now,  every  river 
of  account  in  the  irrigation  country  flows  through  two  or  more 
States  or  Territories.  The  water  systems  of  the  entire  arid  region 
are  crossed  and  recrossed  by  State  lines.  As  an  illustration,  the 
Bear  River  rises  in  Utah,  flows  north  into  Wyoming,  turns  west  into 
Utah  again,  then  back  into  Wyoming,  crosses  into  Idaho,  and  finally 
returns  to  the  State  of  its  birth,  and  empties  into  Great  Salt  Lake. 
The  endless  disputes  and  complications,  and  the  great  interests 


CHAP,  xcvn      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1817 


involved,  have  led  to  the  proposal  to  wipe  out  all  the  present  State  PERIOD  vn 
and  territorial  lines,  and  make  a  new  division  of  the  arid  and  sub-    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

humid  West  and  Southwest  into  States  with  boundaries  in  accord  STATES 
with  the  natural  contour  of  the  country,  and  with  special  reference 
to  the  needs  of  irrigation.  Of  the  different  schemes  proposed,  the 
most  noteworthy  is  that  of  Orren  M.  Donaldson,  in  The  Irrigation 
Age.  He  admits  the  impossibility  of  including  the  largest  rivers 
each  in  one  irrigation  district  or  in  one  State.  But  with  the  excep- 


LAKE    FRONT.  SALT-AIR    BEACH    SALT    LAKE     (NOW  DRV) 

tion  of  the  Missouri,  Rio  Grande,  Colorado,  Columbia,  and  Sho- 
shone,  and  of  two  smaller  rivers,  no  stream  in  all  the  irrigation  coun 
try  would,  under  this  proposed  partition,  flow  from  one  political 
division  into  another.  Every  river  would  have  its  entire  course 
through  the  arid  region  within  the  limits  of  one  State  or  Territory. 
The  inter-State  division  of  the  five  large  rivers  named  Mr.  Donald 
son  thinks  could  be  arranged  without  difficulty. 

What  a  striking  difference  this  partition  would  make  in  the  map  Effect  on 
of  the  United  States  !     It  would  give  twenty-six  States  and  Terri-  ourMaPs 
tories  in  place  of  the  eighteen  that  now  make  up  the  Western  half 
of  the  country,  "thus  securing  to  the  West  its  equal  influence  with 
the  East  in  national  affairs,  to  which  its  equal  population  will  give 
it  full  title  in  the  not-distant  future."     Mr.  Donaldson  estimates  the 


i8i8  HISTORY   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvii 

PERIOD  vii  average  population  of  the  new  political  divisions  at  380,000,  and  the 
TpNEw    average  size  73,500  square  miles.     The  map,  which  is  reproduced 
STATES     on  another  page,  is  from  material  kindly  furnished  by  The  Irriga 
tion  Age,  and  fully  tells  the  interesting  story. 

Ic  is  appropriate  in  this  place  to  direct  attention  to  the  peculiari 
ties  of  other  State  and  territorial  boundaries.  If  the  new  Alaskan 
p  ..  boundary  is  accepted,  it  will  form  one  of  the  longest  of  the  numer- 
State  ous  straight  boundaries  between  one  country  and  its  neighbors,  for 
rjes  it  will  be  a  meridian  of  about  600  miles.  The  only  longer  stretch 
of  straight  boundary  between  this  country  and  another  is  the  parallel 
extending  along  our  Canadian  frontier  westward  from  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods  to  Puget  Sound,  forming  the  longest  straight  boundary 
line  in  the  world.  The  longest  similar  boundary  line  wholly  within 
the  United  States  is  the  parallel  which  runs  westward  from  the 
southeastern  corner  of  Kansas  to  the  southwestern  corner  of  Utah, 
and  separating  Kansas,  Colorado,  and  Utah  on  the  north  from  Indian 
Territory,  Oklahoma,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona  on  the  south.  This 
line  is  nearly  1,100  miles  in  length,  or  about  400  miles  longer  than 
any  other  straight  boundary  wholly  within  the  United  States.  The 
next  longest  is  the  parallel  separating  Idaho  and  Oregon  on  the 
north  from  Utah,  Nevada,  and  California  on  the  south.  It  is  about 
700  miles  long.  The  longest  straight  boundary  line  between  two 
States  is  that  running  southeast  from  Lake  Tahoe  to  the  Colorado 
River,  between  California  and  Nevada.  It  is  400  miles  long,  and 
has  recently  been  surveved  and  marked  at  frequent  intervals  w?th 
boundary  stones. 

There  is  only  one  very  long  straight  boundary  line  east  of  the 
Lengthy  Mississippi,  the  parallel  running  west  from  the  northwestern  border 
dary      of  South  Carolina  to  that  river,  and  separating  North  Carolina  and 
Lines     Tennessee  on  the  north  from  Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Mississippi 
on  the  south.     It  is  nearly  500  miles  long.     Carelessly  drawn  maps 
seem  to  indicate  a  considerably  longer  straight  line  between  Vir 
ginia  and  Kentucky  on  the  north,  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee  on 
the  south.     But  this  line  is  not  throughout  its  length  a  single  paral 
lel.     It  has  several  kinks,  each  with  a  more  or  less  interesting  dip 
lomatic  history.     There  are  half  a  dozen  other  straight  boundary 
lines  east  of  the  Mississippi  from  150  to  250  miles  in  length.     New 
York's  southern  boundary  is  one  of  these. 

The  most  famous  boundary  between  any  two  States  of  the  Union, 


CHAP,  xcvn       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATf(5t#Zf,          1819 


THE  NEW 
UNITED 

STATES 


and,  all  things  considered,  one  of  the  most  notable  in  the  world,  is  PERIOD  VH 

the  parallel,  about  275  miles  in  length,  between  Pennsylvania  on 

the  north  and  Maryland  and  West  Virginia  on  the  south.     It  is,  for 

the  greater  part  of  its  length,  the  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  of  history, 

first  famous  as  commemorating  a  quarrel  between  the  Penns  and  the 

Cecils,  dating  back  more  than  two  hundred  years,  and  having  its 

origin  even  earlier, 

and      later    even 

more    famous     as 

expressing  the 

popular  conception 

of    the     boundary 

between  the  slave 

States  and  the  free 

States.     Not  even 

our    long-disputed 

Northwestern 

boundary  has  been 

so  much  in  men's 

mouths  as    Mason 

and  Dixon's  line. 

It  is  entirely 
probable  that  "the 
survey  of  this  early 
line  set  the  prece 
dent  for  boundaries 
by  parallels  and 

meridians,  for  although  British  kings  had  before,  in  their  large- 
handed  way,  made  grants  in  the  New  World  from  parallel  to  paral 
lel,  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  was  about  the  earliest  long  boundary 
to  be  carefully  surveyed.  The  first  complete  survey  of  the  line  dates 
to  about  1767,  though  attempts  had  been  made  at  it  some  years  ear 
lier,  and  the  western  boundary  of  Delaware,  which  is  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  part  of  the  same  line,  had  been  surveyed  with  rare 
accuracy  for  that  period. 

The  only  States  or  Territories  bounded  wholly  by  meridians  and 
parallels  are  Wyoming,  Colorado,  and  Utah,  and  only  the  first  two 
are  true  rectangles.  Indeed,  perhaps  properly  speaking,  only  Colo 
rado  is,  since  the  Yellowstone  Park  occupies  the  northwestern  corner 


MAP   SHOWING    PRESENT    BOUNDARIES     IN    DOTTED     LINES.     PRO 
POSED    NEW    ONES    IN    BLACK   LINES 


Early 
Surveys 


1820 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


THE  NEW 

UNITED 
STATES 


PERIOD  vii  of  Wyoming.  New  Mexico  narrowly  escaped  a  boundary  solely  by 
parallels  and  meridians  by  the  interposition  of  the  Rio  Grande  for  a 
few  miles -on  the  south. 

West  Virginia  has  the  most  irregular  boundary  of  any  State, 
and  is  almost  entirely  defined  by  natural  lines,  rivers,  and  moun 
tain  ranges.  New 
Jersey  has  natural 
boundaries,  save 
for  an  imaginary 
straight  line  of 
some  miles  be 
tween  her  and 
New  York. 

Michigan  is  the 
only  State  com 
posed  of  two  parts 
wholly  sundered 


by   a  large  body 


A  Proud 
Birth 
right 


EARLY   LOCOMOTIVE,  THE    "  DEWITT   CLINTON"   (1831) 

of  water.  If  a  pending  suit  of  Maryland  against  West  Virginia 
shall  be  decided  in  favor  of  the  former,  the  latter  will  be  sundered 
into  two  parts,  separated  by  intervening  territory  of  another  State, 
the  only  instance  of  the  kind  in  the  Union.  This  boundary  dispute 
is  almost  as  old  as  the  historic  quarrel  over  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 

No  American,  we  repeat,  can  look  upon  the  marvellous  growth 
and  progress  of  his  country  in  territory,  population,  wealth,  science, 
literature,  education,  invention,  art,  and  all  that  makes  a  nation  truly 
great,  without  a  thrill  of  gratitude  and  a  pride  in  his  birthright;  but 
it  is  wise  in  reflecting  upon  all  this  to  remember  that  where  there 
is  so  much  prosperity  and  such  ground  for  hope,  there  is  also  cause 
for  fear.  Such  blessings  bring  their  responsibilities,  and  the  history 
of  more  than  one  people  of  the  past  proves  that  nations,  like  men, 
when  they  seem  to  be  full  of  vigor  and  life,  may  be  already  smitten 
with  death.  The  promises  of  the  future  cannot  be  realized  if  we 
fall  short  of  our  duty.  There  have  been  crucial  periods  in  the  past, 
when  our  country  tottered  on  the  verge  of  destruction,  and  doubtless 
such  crises  will  confront  us  in  the  future. 

The  most  pressing  duty  is  that  of  a  more  general,  intelligen'  \nd 
conscientious  study  of  and  interest  in  politics.  It  is  too  much  the 
case  that  politics  is  left  to  the  ignorant  and  corrupt  members  of  so- 


CHAP,  xcvn       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1821 


ciety.     Good  men  shrink  from  tainting  themselves,  as  they  regard  it,    PERIOD  vii 
in  the  unclean  waters ;  and  yet  by  no  other  means  can  they  be  puri-    THE  NEW 

UNITED 

fied,  and  by  no  other  process  can  the  wrong-doers  be  rendered  pow-      STATES 
erless  to  injure  their  fellowmen  by  corruption  and  unjust  laws. 

The  study  of  the  Constitution  should  begin  in  all  schools  as  soon 
as  the  pupil  has  the  mental  capacity  to  understand  the  provisions  of 
that  wonderful  instrument.     The  history  of  the  United  States  should       Our 
be  familiar  to  every  boy  and  girl,  and  not  only  the  achievements 
but  the  mistakes  of  the  past  made  clear. 


Coypright  l&tf,  by  A.  P.  Yates 

EMPIRE    STATE    EXPRESS,  No.  999  (1897) 

Among  the  most  manifest  dangers  that  threaten  our  country  are 
those  that  result  from  indiscriminate  immigration.     With  the  thou 
sands  that  come  to  this  favored  land  are  hundreds  of  the  worst  mis 
creants  of   the   Old   World.     From    their   ranks  are  recruited  the       Qur 
anarchists,  the  members  of  the  Mafia,  and  the  deadliest  enemies  of  Dangers 
society.     The  problem  of  how  to  winnow  the  chaff  from  the  wheat, 
of  how  to  exclude  the  vicious  while  welcoming  the  worthy,  is  one 
that  has  long  engaged  thoughtful  minds  and  that  is  still  unsolved. 

A  graver  and  farther-reaching  peril  is  the  effort  of  the  demagogue 
to  array  capital  against  labor,  to  incite  the  hatred  of  the  poor  against 


1822 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvn 


STATES 


IOD  vn  the  rich,  and,  by  leading  men  astray  by  fantastic  theories  of  govern- 
ment>  to  strike  at  the  foundations  of  law,  order,  and  the  security  of 
home  and  of  life  itself.  The  growth  of  wealth  to  enormous  propor 
tions  among  a  few,  with  its  influence  upon  legislation,  is  another 
cause  for  alarm.  All  this,  however,  and  much  more  bring  us  back  to 
the  truth  already  stated,  that  the  remedy  for  these  dangers  lies  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  minds  and  hearts  of  our  children,  that  they  grow 
up  with  their  sense  of  right  clarified  and  duty  made  the  mainspring 
of  all  their  actions. 

Still  another  menace  to  our  civilization  is  the  disregard  of  law  in 
many  sections.  When  law  becomes  inoperative  and  crime  rampant, 
as  was  the  case  in  California  and  other  Western  States  during  their 
early  days,  self  -protection  demands  the  formation  of  vigilance  com 
mittees,  and  lynching  is  justifiable;  but  when  law  resumes  its  sway, 
lynching,  which  seeks  to  punish  crime,  is  itself  among  the  gravest 
of  crimes.  There  may  be  palliation  for  some  of  the  lynchings  of 
negroes  in  the  South,  for  many  thus  punished  have  richly  deserved 
it,  but  the  law  itself  is  sufficient  to  reach  and  punish  them,  and  the 
woful  truth  is  undeniable  that  more  than  one  innocent  victim  has 
suffered  torture  and  death.  Better,  indeed,  is  it  that  a  hundred 
guilty  should  go  unpunished  than  that  one  innocent  person  should 
be  wronged. 

The  frequent  miscarriage  of  justice  is  a  reproach  to  us.  The  in- 
vestigation  of  the  Star  Route  frauds,  as  they  were  called,  established 
the  guilt  of  more  than  one  prominent  man,  and  yet  not  one  of  them 
was  punished.  During  the  draft  riots  of  1  863  in  New  York  city, 
some  of  the  miscrean-ts  were  guilty  of  atrocities  that  were  never  sur 
passed  by  Apaches,  yet  none  of  them  suffered  therefor.  Indeed,  one 
miserable  wretch  had  a  street  named  in  his  honor,  and  the  motion 
was  repeatedly  made  in  common  council  to  repeat  the  honor  with 
another  street.  The  writer  once  had  a  conversation  with  a  man  in 
Austin,  Tex.,  who  gave  him  the  names  of  twenty-odd  persons  whom 
he  had  killed.  In  more  than  one  instance  there  was  not  the  slight 
est  justification  on  the  part  of  this  murderer,  and  yet  he  was  never 
called  to  account.  When  he  returned  home  from  one  of  his  killings 
in  San  Antonio,  where  he  was  detained  during  the  formal  investiga 
tion,  the  crowd  took  the  horses  from  his  carriage  and  drew  him  in 
triumph  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  state  capital.  • 

Where  the  law  is  operative  it  often  loses   its  restraining  force 


Miscar- 
Jhistice 


CHAP,  xcvu      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1823 


through  delay.     A  burly  negro  in  New  Jersey  murdered  his  wife  PERIOD  vn 
most   brutally,   confessed   it,   and  announced  himself  ready  to  be    THE  NEW 

J  J  UNITED 

hanged ;  yet  his  lawyer,  by  legal  tricks  and  devices,  postponed  his  STATES 
execution  for  two  years.  In  numberless  cases,  where  swift  punish 
ment  would  have  taught  its  salutary  lesson,  the  delay  has  so  wearied 
the  prosecution  that  the  criminal  has  been  allowed  to  go  free,  with 
some  of  the  jurors  who  convicted  him  joining  in  the  petition  for 
pardon.  Little  wonder  is  it  that,  when  public  sentiment  becomes  so 
callous,  one  State  out  of  our  forty-five  has  had  the  hardihood  to 
legalize  prize-fighting  within  its  borders. 

It  is  such  facts  as  these  that  call  for  serious  thought  and  demand 
the  right  education  of  the  rising  generation,  in  order  that  our  coun 
try,  the  greatest  of  republics  and  the  hope  of  mankind,  shall  fulfil 
the  destiny  that  awaits  it  if  her  sons  and  daughters,  in  their  prepara 
tion  for  the  work  of  manhood  and  womanhood,  meet  the  require 
ments  of  our  civilization. 


PERIOD  VIII— OUR  COLONIAL  EXPANSION 

CHAPTER   XCVIII 

Me  KIN  LEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION— 1897- 
(CONTINUED] 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN 

Causes  of  the  War  • 

[Authorities:  The  thought  of  any  country  playing  the  part  of  the  Good  Samaritan 
among  other  nations  is  to  most  people  Utopian  to  the  degree  of  absurdity.  Nations  are 
utterly  selfish,  and  the  accepted  idea  of  patriotism  is  that  of  necessity  it  is  limited  by  the 
boundaries  of  one's  own  country.  The  reign  of  the  universal  brotherhood  of  man  is  still 
remote,  and  wars  and  rumors  of  wars  will  fret  the  world  for  many  years  to  come.  But 
that  there  is  an  unselfish  and  a  profoundly  sympathetic  spirit  on  the  part  at  least  of  one 
nation  is  proven  by  the  intervention,  followed  by  the  sacrifices,  sufferings,  and  hundreds 
of  deaths  of  brave  Americans  in  behalf  of  crushed  and  bleeding  Cuba.  Whether  such 
intervention  is  of  itself  the  herald  of  the  day  of  general  peace,  or  the  signal  of  the  en 
trance  of  the  United  States  upon  a  grand  career  of  colonial  expansion  similar  to  that  of 
Great  Britain,  is  a  question  whose  answer  lies  in  the  near  future.  All  the  incidents  bear 
ing  upon  this  momentous  subject  are  fully  set  forth  in  the  following  pages,  the  authori 
ties  for  which  are  portions  of  the  diplomatic  correspondence  of  our  Government,  the 
official  reports  from  the  field  of  operations,  and  the  newspaper  accounts  from  the  front. 
The  work  of  the  newspaper  correspondents  has  been  a  feature  of  the  war,  and  a  striking 
testimony  to  the  enterprise  of  American  journalism.] 

|OME  four  centuries  have  passed  since  Christopher 
Columbus,  while  cruising  westward  among  theWest 
Indian  islands,  entered  the  mouth  of  a  river  which 
led  into  the  interior  of  the  beautiful  and  fertile 
land  that  the  natives  called  Cuba.  Throughout 
his  discoveries,  the  great  navigator  believed  he 
had  reached  the  eastern  shore  of  India,  and  he 

died  in  ignorance  of 'the  grandeur  of  the  vast  continent  that  lay 

just  beyond 


CHAP,  xcvm     McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1825 


Cuba,  with  its  length  of  760  miles,  and  a  varying  breadth  of  28 
to  127  miles,  has  an  area  of  41,655  square  miles,  nearly  equal  to  that 
of  the  State  of  New  York.  Its  soil  is  of  inexhaustible  fertility,  and 
its  climate,  except  during  the  rainy  season — from  April  to  October — 
is  mild  and  delightful.  The  mountains,  which  extend  from  one  end 
of  the  island  to  the  other,  are  highest  in  the  eastern  portion,  where 
they  are  broken  into  spurs  and  transverse  ridges.  The  most  elevated 
peak,  that  of  Tarquino,  is  nearly  8,000  feet  above  the  sea.* 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPAN- 

S:ON 

1898 


Natural 
Features 

of 
Cuba 


AVENUE  OF  COCOANUT  PALMS 


More  than  one-half  of  the  island  has  never  been  brought  under 
cultivation,  and  is  still  covered  with  primeval  forests.  During  the 
rainy  season  the  lowlands  of  the  coast  are  inundated,  and  in  the 
swamps  the  black  mud  becomes  like  glue.  Add  to  this  feature  the 
leagues  of  dense  forest,  choked  with  wirelike  vines  and  under 
growth,  with  roads  that  are  mere  bridle-paths,  and  with  the  mosqui 
toes  and  other  insects  an  unbearable  pest,  while  through  and  over 
all  broods  a  smothering,  fever-laden  atmosphere,  like  the  breath  of 

*The  island  of  Cuba  was  successively  called  Juan,  Fernandina,  Santiago,  and 
Ave  Maria,  by  its  Spanish  explorers  and  early  settlers,  but  none  of  these  appella 
tions  permanently  supplanted  the  old  Indian  name  (Cuba,  the  place  of  gold)  which 
it  now  bears. 


Repel- 

lent 

Charac 
teristics 


A  COCOANUT  TREE  IN  CUBA 


CHAP,  xcvni     McKlNLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1827 


a  furnace,  surcharged  with  pestilential  mists,  and  some  idea  may 

be  formed  of  what  our  brave  men  faced  during  the  Santiago  cam-        r-^ 

paign,  waged  in  a  very  difficult  district  at  the  worst  season  of  the  year. 

Cuban  tobacco  and  sugar  have  long  been  famous  throughout  the 
world.     There  may  be  some  spot  elsewhere  that  will  grow  as  fine  Tobacco 
tobacco  as  the  Vuelta  Abajo  district  in  Cuba,  but  as  yet  it  has  not      and 
been  discovered.     The  wool  of  the  merino  sheep  becomes  coarse 
when  the  animal  is  removed  to  other  regions  where  the  climatic 
conditions  are  similar,  and  the  Cuban  tobacco,  when  transplanted 
for  even  so  short  a  distance  as  Key  West,  soon  deteriorates. 

The  ingenios,  or  sugar  plantations,  have  always  been  the  most 
important  industrial  establishments  on  the  island.  While  the 
increasing  competition  of  beet-  sugar  has  reduced  the  sales  of 
Cuban  cane-sugar,  it  has  never  been  able  to  displace  it  in  foreign 
markets.  Before  the  war  the  average  value  of  the  sugar  exported 
was  $50,000,000  and  of  molasses  $9,000,000,  which,  with  good 
government  and  enterprise,  could  be  increased  five-fold. 

Despite  the  enormous  value  of  the  tobacco  industry,  the  intolerable 
exactions  of  Spain,  which  controls  it  as  a  monopoly,  have  greatly 
crippled  the  production.  Like  every  possible  source  of  revenue,  it 
has  been  made  to  contribute  to  the  insatiate  greed  of  the  Spanish 
officials,  whose  rapacity  has  strangled  many  a  legitimate  enterprise. 
The  Cuban  tobacco  crop  in  1895  was  worth  about  '$  10,000  ,000. 

Scattered  throughout  the  island  are  the  cafetals,  or  coffee  estates  ; 
but  although  this  crop  once  ranked  next  in  value  to  that  of  sugar,  it 
has  been  greatly  reduced  by  the  production  of  Brazil. 

The  census  of  Cuba,  taken  in  1887,  was  as  follows  : 

Provinces.          .  "White.  Colored.  Total. 

Havana  .........................  344,417  107,511  451,928 

Pinar  del  Rio  ...................  167,160  58,731  225,891 

Matanzas  .......................  143,169  116,401  259,570 

Santa  Clara  ......................  244,345  109,777  354,122 

Puerto  Principe  ..................  54,232  13,  557  67,789 

Santiago  de  Cuba  ................  157,980  H4.339  272,319 

Total,*  1,111,303  520,316  1,631,619 

The  Roman  Catholic  religion  was  the  only  one  recognized  by  the 
Spanish  Government.  Education  has  been  greatly  neglected.  In 

*Of  the  1,631,619  inhabitants,  one-fifth  were  natives  of  Spain,  10,500  were  whites 
of  foreign  blood,  485,187  were  negroes,  about  50.000  Chinese,  and  the  remainder 
native  Cubans.  The  last  slaves  in  Cuba  were  liberated  by  a  royal  decree  of  1886. 


CHAP,  xcvin     McKiiNLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1829 

1883  there  were  568  public  and  267  private  primary  schools,  but  of      PERIOD 
these  67  were  entirely  vacant.      Salaries  were  withheld  from  the        — 
teachers  of  many  of  the  public  schools,  and  the  general  condition  of    ^x0pLA0NNs,^ 
the  island's  educational  system  was  very  poor.     Thousands  of  people       I898 
in  the  interior  live  like  the  beasts  of  the  field.     Indeed,  the  whole 
island  has  been  treated  by  Spain  as  simply  one  of  the  means  of  en 
riching  her  corrupt  officials,  and  her  greed  has  prevented  her  from     A  Mis- 
garnering  a  quarter  of  the  harvests  that  simple  justice  and  the  most    Country 
ordinary  enterprise  would  have  brought  to  her. 

Havana  is  the  metropolis  of  Cuba,  and  the  largest  city  in  the 
West  Indies.  With  a  population  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million,  it 
has  long  been  the  leading  tobacco  and  sugar  market  of  the  world. 
It  was  founded  in  1519,  and  has  an  excellent  harbor.  The  old  city 
lies  within  the  walls,  and  the  new  towns  are  outside,  containing 
many  beautiful  suburbs,  promenades,  and  public  parks.  Havana  is 
strongly  built,  most  of  the  buildings  being  of  stone,  the  streets  paved 
with  granite  or  other  hard  stone.  It  has  been  graphically  described 
by  Murat  Halstead  as  being  a  city  of  palaces  fronting  on  alleys, 
some  of  the  principal  thoroughfares,  including  the  sidewalks,  being 
no  more  than  twenty-five  feet  wide.  Like  all  Spanish  cities,  its  un- 
cleanliness  is  a  continual  invitation  for  the  entrance  of  disease  and 
pestilence.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  are  wealthy.  Morro  Castle, 
the  ancient  fortress  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  has  served  as  the 
tomb  of  scores  of  political  offenders,  among  whom  has  been  more 
than  one  American.  Although  regarded  as  a  formidable  defence  for 
the  harbor,  the  Spaniards'  main  reliance  has  been  the  fortifications 
erected  later  on  the  neighboring  hills,  a  short  distance  from  the  sea- 
front. 

The  second  city  is  Santiago  de  Cuba,  on  the  southern  coast,  and 
the  scene  of  the  brilliant  operations  of  our  fleet  and  army  in  July,       The 
1898.     Its  population  in   1892  was  71,307,  that  of  Matanzas  at  the      Cities 
same  time  being  56,379,  of  Puerto  Principe  46,641,   and  of  Cien- 
fuegos  40,964. 

Before  the  recent  war,  Cuba  had  a  thousand  miles  of  railroad,  ex 
clusive  of  a  number  of  private  lines  connecting  with  the  large  plan 
tations.  Two  thousand  vessels  with  a  tonnage  of  two  and  a  half 
millions  entered  in  1894  the  five  principal  ports,  Havana,  Santiago, 
Cienfuegos,  Trinidad,  and  Nuevitas. 

The  rule  of  Spain  in  Cuba  has  scarcely  a  parallel  in  history  for 


CHAI-.  xcvui     McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1831 


VIII 
OUR 


treachery  and  cruelty.       Since  October,  1896,  three-quarters  of  a     PERIOD 
million  of  peaceful  country  people,  mainly  old  men,  women  and 
children,  have  been  driven  from  their  homes,  which  were  burned, 
and  herded  in  the  towns  and  cities,  where  half  of  them  have  starved 
to  death. 


THE  CIVIL  GOVERNOR'S  RESIDENCE,  HAVANA 


Returning  to  the  early  history  of  Cuba,  it  should  be  noted  that    Early 
the  Spaniards  waited  until  they  believed  they  had  exhausted  the 
wealth  of  Haiti,  when  they  colonized  Cuba  in   1511,  by  sending 
three  hundred  men  i>mW  Diego  Velasquez,  who  founded  Santiago 


tr 


-t 
o 
cc. 

LU 


CHAP,  xcvin     McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1833 


on  the  southeast  coast.*  This  town,  for  a  long  time,  was  the  capital 
of  Cuba.  Baracoa,  near  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island,  and 
Trinidad,  on  the  southern  shore,  were  also  among  the  first  settle 
ments.  San  Cristobal  de  la  Habana  was  founded  in  1513.  This 
place  is  now  known  as  Batabano,  and  is  directly  opposite, Havana  on 
the  southern  coast.  Havana  (avana)  received  its  present  name  in  15 19. 

The  first  Spanish  settlers  in  Cuba  were  like  all  who  have  pre 
ceded  and  followed  them  in  America  and  other  parts  of  the  world. 
Outrage  and  murder  were  diversions  of  which  they  never  wearied,  and 
shocking  cruelty  toward  the  gentle  natives  was  the  unvarying  rule.f 

Velasquez  occupied  the  island  without  losing  a  man.  Each  settler 
took  possession  of  about  three  hundred  natives,  and  compelled  them 
to  work  so  hard  in  the  fields  that  they  were  soon  exterminated.  Negro 
slaves  were  imported  from  Spain  and  San  Domingo,  but  so  dreadful 
was  the  tyranny  of  the  Spaniards  that  hundreds  of  them  also  died. 

Since  Spain  was  continually  at  war  with  other  European  nations, 
Havana  was  peculiarly  exposed  to  attack.  During  its  first  century 
it  suffered  severely  from  piratical  assaults,  being  plundered  and 
almost  destroyed  in  1528  and  again  in  1551.  In  1585  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  with  his  English  fleet,  threatened  the  town,  and,  as  an  addi 
tional  protection,  two  fortresses  were  built.  These  were  the  Bateria 
de  la  Punta  and  the  Castillo  del  Morro,  both  of  which  still  guard  the 
entrance  to  Havana — la  Punta  on  the  west,  and  the  famous  old 
Morro  on  the  east. 

In  1762,  Europe  was  involved  in  the  Seven- Years'  War,  and  in 
January  of  that  year  hostilities  were  declared  between  England  and 
Spain.  Lord  Albemarle,  with  a  fleet  of  two  hundred  ships  and  a 
force  of  about  twenty  thousand  men,  appeared  before  Havana  in  the 
following  summer.  The  Americans  at  that  time  were  loyal  subjects 
of  Great  Britain,  and  the  colonies  contributed  valuable  assistance  in 
the  assault  upon  Havana,  where  they  arrived  at  a  time  when  half  the 
British  force  was  disabled  by  sickness.  Lawrence  Washington,  a 

*  The  Haitians  lived  mainly  on  the  flesh  of  cattle,  which  they  subjected  to  a 
peculiar  process  called  "bucanning  "  Haiti  at  that  time  was  the  headquarters  of 
numerous  bands  of  Spanish  smugglers,  who  copied  the  method  of  preserving  meat 
for  use  on  shipboard.  Because  of  this,  these  men  came  to  be  known  as  "buccaneers." 

t  When  a  native  chieftain  was  tied  to  the  stake,  and  the  torch  was  about  to  be 
applied  to  the  fagots,  a  Franciscan  monk  held  a  crucifix  in  front  of  his  face  and 
exhorted  him  to  repent  in  order  that  he  might  make  sure  of  heaven  "Heaven !" 
repeated  the  chieftain,  "are  there  any  Spaniards  there?"  "A  great  many,"  was  the 
reply.  "Then,"  said  the  native,  "let  me  go  elsewhere." 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPAN 
SION 
1898 


Attack 
on 

Havana 


CHAP,  xcvm     McKiNLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


brother  of  George  Washington,  served  in  the  expedition,  and  Israel 
Putnam  was  a  lieutenant-colonel,  the  2,300  American  troops  being 
furnished  by  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  Connecticut. 

The  Spanish  garrison  numbered  27,000  men,  and  made  a  desper 
ate  defence.  They  consisted  almost  entirely  of  the  "  Cuban  Volun 
teers,"  since  become  notorious,  and  no  troops  could  have  fought 
more  bravely  ;  but  the  assailants  stormed  the  Morro,  and  on  the  I3th 
of  August,  Havana  surrendered,  its  defenders  being  allowed  to  march 
out  with  the  honors  of  war.  The  prize  money  divided  among  the 
victors  amounted  to  nearly  $4,000,000,  of  which  Lord  Albemarle  and 
Sir  George  Pocock  each  pocketed  more  than  half  a  million.'  Then, 
in  1763,  England  made  one  of  the  most  foolish  of  bargains  by  giving 
Cuba  back  to  Spain  in  return  for  Florida. 

An  unusual  piece  of  good  fortune  befell  Cuba  when,  in  1790,  Luis 
de  Las  Casas  was  made  governor,  to  be  succeeded  six  years  later 
by  the  Count  of  Santa  Clara.  Both  were  liberal  and  enterprising 
statesmen,  and  did  a  great  deal  to  develop  the  inexhaustible  resources 
of  the  island.  The  Bateria  de  Santa  Clara,  outside  Havana,  was  one 
of  the  many  fortifications  built  by  the  Count  of  Santa  Clara,  and  it 
was  named  in  his  honor. 

Cuba  showed  her 
gratitude  to  Spain  for 
the  services  of  these  two 
governors  by  declaring 
her  loyalty  to  the  old 
dynasty,  in  1808,  when 
Napoleon  deposed  the 
Bourbon  King  Ferdi 
nand  VII.  and  placed 
his  own  brother  Joseph 
Bonaparte  on  the  throne. 
It  was  thus  Cuba  won 
the  name  of  "The  Ever- 
Faithful  Isle,"  which  ac 
quired-  a  grim  irony 
before  the  close  of  the 
century. 

JOSeph  Bonaparte,  after  Copyright  /*«  by   r*e  International  Society 

occupying  the   Spanish  COL.  JOAQUIN  RUIZ 


PERIOD 
VIII 

Otra 
COLONIAL 

EXPAN 
SION 
1898 


English 

Capture 

of 

Havana 


i836 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 


throne  for  five  years,  was  driven  out,  and  Ferdinand  VII.  came  to 
—        his  own.     He  ignored  all  the  promises  of  the  provisional  government, 


and  made  himself  an  absolute  despot,  whose  heel  was  struck  deep 
jj£g       into  his  American  colonies. 


QEN.  MARTINEZ    DE    CAMPOS 


The  rebellions   against  Spanish  rule   began   in    Buenos  Ayres, 
Venezuela,   and   Peru    in  1809    anc^   1810,    and   all    gained    their 


A  BANANA  TREE  IN  CUBA 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES     CHAP,  xcvni 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OCR 
COLONIAL 

EXPAN 
SION 
I8q8 


Revolts 
in  Cuba 


The 
Black 
Eagle 
Society 


independence.  Their  loyalists  took  refuge  in  Cuba,  and  thus  made 
her  preponderatingly  loyal ;  but  dissatisfaction  arose  when  Spain 
attempted  to  make  the  island  a  military  station  from  which  to  direct 
movements  against  the  revolting  republics.  As  a  consequence, 
numerous  secret  societies  were  formed,  and  insurrections  set  on  foot. 

The  first  open  rebellion  took  place  in  1820,  its  supporters  demand 
ing  the  fulfillment  of  the  pledges  made  by  the  provisional  govern 
ment  of.  Seville,  when  Ferdinand  VII.  was  deposed.  There  were 
two  years  of  fighting  and  anarchy  before  it  was  suppressed. 

The  next  conspiracy  was  for  the  formation  of  a  Cuban  republic, 
and  was  organized  by  the  society  of  Soles  de  Bolivar — patriots  who 
sought  to  emulate  in  Cuba  the  deeds  of  the  great  South  American 
liberator.  It  was  planned  that  the  rising  should  take  place  on  the 
same  day  in  a  number  of  cities,  but  instead,  the  leaders  were  arrested 
and  imprisoned,  and  the  revolt  of  1823  came  to  naught. 

Six  years  later  the  Black  Eagle  Society,  a  body  often  referred  to  in 
the  history  of  Cuba,  formed  an  invading  expedition,  with  headquarters 
in  Mexico,  and  a  number  of  recruiting  agencies  in  the  United  States  ; 
but  as  before  there  were  traitors  in  the  ranks,  and  the  ringleaders 
were  seized  and  imprisoned  before  they  could  strike  a  blow. 

In  1844,  the  slaves  on  the  sugar  plantations  about  Matanzas  were 
suspected  of  preparing  for  revolt.  No  real  proof  could  be  obtained , 
and  they  were  put  to  torture.  More  than  a  thousand  were  convicted, 
seventy-eight  shot,  others  subjected  to  various  brutal  punishments. 

The  conspiracy  of  Narciso  Lopez,  a  native  Venezuelan  who  had 
served  in  the  Spanish  army,  has  been  mentioned.  He  started  his 
first  revolutionary  movement  in  1848,  but  was  unsuccessful.  After 
several  failures,  he  succeeded  three  years  later  in  landing  in  Cuba, 
accompanied  by  a  small  force,  and  by  Colonel  Crittenden  of  Ken 
tucky,  a  West  Pointer.  Both  leaders  were  captured  and  shot. 

Spain  was  in  the  throes  of  one  of  her  periodical  revolutions  in 
1868,  with  the  result  that  the  gross  Queen  Isabella  was  dethroned 
and  driven  out  of  the  country.  Cuba,  remembering  the  bitter  lesson 
of  sixty  years  before,  took  good  care  to  remain  mute  regarding  her 
loyalty  to  the  deposed  Bourbons,  and  seizing  her  opportunity,  began  a 
revolution  as  the  only  means  of  obtaining  redress  for  her  grievances. 

As  illustrative  of  the  intolerable  exactions  made  upon  Cube,  oy 
Spain,  it  may  be  stated  that  $26,000,000  was  wrenched  annually 
from  the  island.  The  salary  of  the  captain-general  was  $50,000, 
with  perquisites  ;  of  the  six  provincial  governors,  $12,000  each  with 


CHAP,  xcvin      McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1839 


PERIOD 
VIII 


OUR 


perquisites,  and  the  two  archbishops,  $  1 8,000  each  with  perquisites ; 
and  every  one  of  them  was  a  Spaniard.     The  duty  on  flour  was  so 
heavy  that  wheaten  bread  ceased  to  be  used  except  by  the  wealthy 
families.     A  Cuban  who  received  a  prepaid  letter  at  his  door  was 
obliged  to  pay  37^  cents  additional  postage.     The  Spaniards  paid 
$3.23  per  capita  of  interest  on  their  national  debt,  while  the  Cubans 
paid    $6.39.      For  griev 
ances    that    were    but    a 
small  part    of  these,  our 
forefathers    revolted 
against  Great  Britain  in 
1776. 

Incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  Spain  proposed  to 
add  to  these  taxes  in 

1868.  On    the   loth    of 
October    of     that     year, 
Carlos  M.  de  Cespedes,  a 
lawyer  of  Bayamo,  issued 
a    declaration    of     inde 
pendence   on  the  planta 
tion  of  Yara,  and  placed 
himself    at   the   head  of 
about  a   hundred  poorly 
armed    men.       Several 
thousand     recruits    soon 

gathered  under  his  lead-  ALPHONSO  xin,  KING  OF  SPAIN 

ership,    and      in     April, 

1869,  a  republican  constitution    was    drawn    up,   providing   for    a 
president,  vice-president,  cabinet,  and  legislature.      Slavery  was  de 
clared  abolished,  and  under  this  constitution  Cespedes  was  elected 
president,    Francisco    Aguilero    vice-president,    and    a    legislature 
convened. 

The  war,  which  opened  sharply,  soon  degenerated  into  guerrilla  T*>e  Te,n 
tactics,  without  decisive  results  on  either  side,  until  at  the  end  of  ten       War 
years  everybody  was  ready  for  peace.      Martinez  Campos,  the  Span 
ish  commander,  made  pledges  under  which  General  Maximo  Gomez, 
the  insurgent  leader,  accepted  the  treaty  of  El  Zanjon,  February  10, 

1878.     By  the  terms  of  this  treaty,  the  Cubans  were  guaranteed 
118 


1840 


HISTORY    OF    1HE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


Broken 
Pledges 


representation  in  the  Spanish  Cortes,  and  pardon  was  granted  to  all 
who  had  taken  any  part  in  the  insurrection. 

But  once  more  Cuba  learned  that  in  trusting  to  Spanish  honor 
she  leaned  upon  a  broken  reed.  Under  the  electoral  system  that  was 
devised  at  Madrid,  the  loyalists  easily  secured  control  of  the  polls",  and 
never  failed  to  elect  a  majority  of  the  delegates,  who  invariably  legis 
lated  against  the  inter 
ests  of  Cuba.  The  cities 
were  so  smothered  by 
debt  that  no  attention 
was  paid  to  sewerage  or 
cleanliness.  Except  in 
Havana,  all  insane  per 
sons  were  confined  in 
prison  cells.  The  man 
who  attempted  to  labor 
found  that  on  an  average 
two  days  in  every  week 
were  lost  because  they 
were  church  or  state 
holidays.  Out  of  the 
meagre  earnings  of  the 
remaining  two-thirds  of 
the  year,  Cuba  had  to 
pay  the  exorbitant  sal 
aries  of  her  oppressors 
and  contribute  more  than 
half  a  million  dollars  an 
nually  to  the  officials  who  deliberately  robbed  her  of  that  sum. 
No  country  in  the  world  is  so  honeycombed  with  corruption  as 
Spain. 

Some  of  the  reforms  granted  by  Spain  to  the  island  may  thus  be 
described:  The  "governor-general"  became  "  captain-general, "  the 
change  being  only  in  name.  The  right  of  banishment  was  aban 
doned,  but  under  the  "  law  of  vagrancy"  the  obnoxious  citizens  were 
expelled  precisely  as  before.  The  respectable  members  of  society 
were  declared  "  immune"  against  attack,  but  were  assaulted  as  vigor 
ously  as  ever,  and  nobody  was  punished  therefor.  Every  office  that 
brought  any  salary  or  conferred  any  influence  was  appropriated  by  a 


CHRISTINA,  THE  QUEEN  REGENT  OF  SPAIN 


CHAP,  xcvin      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1841 


PERIOD 
VIII 


Spaniard,  and  the  debt  saddled  upon  the  Cubans  amounted  to  more 
than  one  hundred  dollars  per  capita. 

Among  the  results  of  the  Ten- Years'  War  was  the  division  of  the 
island  into  the  six  provinces,  already  named,  and  the  extirpation  of       I898 


OUR 


A  CUBAN  BLOCK  HOUSE  (NEAR  VIEW) 


slavery  in  1886  as  one  of  the  consequences  of  the  prolonged  conflict. 
The  rage  of  the  Cubans  over  their  betrayal  led  to  the  resolution  to 
set  on  foot  another  insurrection  that  should  be  ended  only  by  death 


1842 


HISTORY    OF,  THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  XCVHI 


or  .independence.     Never  again  would  they  place  any  trust  in  the 
solemn  pledge  of  a  Spaniard. 

The  friends  of  Cuban  independence  were  widely  scattered,  but 
kept  in  close  touch  with  one  another.  Thousands  were  in  the 
United  States,  and  New  York  city  was  the  headquarters.*  The 
dominating  spirit  was  Jose  Marti,  who  was  a  brilliant  organizer,  and 
soon  had  the  moral  and  material  support  of  more  than  a  hundred 


OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


Corrupt 
Aid 


A  SCENE  IN   EASTERN  CUBA 


clubs.  A  large"  amount  of  money  was  raised  for  purchasing  arms 
and  ammunition,  and  our  Government  was  kept  busy  in  intercepting 
the  numerous  filibustering  expeditions,  many  of  which  succeeded  in 
landing  men  and  supplies  on  the  coast  of  Cuba.  After  all,  however, 
the  greatest  help  came  from  the  corrupt  Spanish  officials,  who  eager 
ly  placed  themselves  in  the  way  of  being  bribed.  Thousands  of  the 
arms  in  the  hands  of  the  insurgents  were  purchased  at  the  govern 
ment  arsenals,  and  there  was  scarcely  a  check  to  the  contraband  sup- 


*  This  organization  is  often  incorrectly   referred    to  as  a   "Junta." 
proper  term  during-  the  Ten-Years  War,  but  not  since  that  time. 


Such   was   the 


CHAP,  xcvin       McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1843 


plies  that  were  sent  through  the  lines  to  the  Cubans  confidently 
awaiting  them  a  short  distance  inland.  Few  suspect  how  general 
and  all-pervading  was  this  corruption  among  the  Spanish  officials. 
Finally,  early  in  1895,  the  command  of  the  new  Cuban  revolutionary 
army  was  tendered  to  and  accepted  by  Maximo  Gomez,  who  was  still 
living  with  his  family  at  his  home  in  western  San  Domingo.  The 
offer  was  made  by  Jose  Marti,  president  of  the  organization  that  had 
been  formed. 

The  leaders,  after  full  consultation,  agreed  that  a  general  rising 
should  take  place  in  all  of  the  six  provinces  on  February  24,  1895. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


Gomez 
in  Com 
mand 


A  SPANISH  QAMP 

In  only  three  of  the  provinces,  however,  were  the  insurgents  able  to 
display  the  flag  of  the  republic  on  the  date  named,  and  for  a  time  the 
important  events  were  confined  to  one  of  the  provinces. 

Calleja,   the  captain-general,  was  liberally  disposed   toward  the 

insurgents,  but  the  Madrid  Government  baffled  every  generous  move    Obstruc 
tions  at 
on  his  part.     The  uprising  in  the  province  of  Santiago  cle  Cuba,  on    Madrid 

February  24,  seemed  so  trifling  that  the  Spanish  authorities  were 


*  One  of  the  most  noted  of  these  filibusters  told  the  writer  that  he  regularly  set  aside, 
on  each  voyage,  a  certain  percentage  to  be  paid  to  the  officials.  Not  once  did  he  fail 
thus  to  secure  immunity,  sometimes  for  less  than  the  usual  price.  The  most  that  the 
American  captain  was  ever  asked  by  these  model  government  servants  was  to  be  circum 
spect  in  his  actions,  and  to  help  shield  them  from  being  called  to  account. 


1844 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 


PERIOD  not  alarmed,  but  the  insurgents  dodged  back  and  forth,  eluding  the 

—  forces  sent  against  them,  and  were  helped  by  their  friends,  who  seemed 

EXPAVS™  to  ke  everywhere.      Following  this  came  the  discovery  of  the  wide- 

l898  spread  conspiracy,  including  the  plan  for  killing  the  resident  gover- 


Martial 
Law 


GEN.    JOSE    ANTONIO    MACEO 


nor  in  the  province  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  the  Spanish  officials,  and 
the  wholesale  destruction  by  fire  of  a  great  deal  of  valuable  property. 

When  this  startling  news  reached  Calleja  he  was  alarmed.  He 
proclaimed  martial  law  in  Santiago  and  Matanzas,  and  sent  troops 
into  those  two  provinces ;  but  the  insurgents  easily  eluded  them  and 
continually  added  to  their  numbers. 

At  that  time  there  were  three  parties  in  Cuba.  The  Loyalists 
were  Spaniards  either  by  birth  or  Spanish  patronage.  They  held  the 


CHAP,  xcvin       McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1845 

offices,  and  had  all  their  interests  wrapped  uti  in  the  continuance  of     PERIOD 

VIII 

the  existing  order  of  things.  — 

The    Autonomists  denounced  the  misgovernment   of    Cuba,    but   Ex^™*^ 
favored  home  rule  and  not  independence  for  the  island.     To  them       l898 
the  cure  for.  all  the  misery  was  a  system  like  that  enjoyed  by  Canada 
under  English  rule. 

The  third  party  were  the  insurgents  or  Separatists,  who  saw  but       The 

...  Different 

one  possible  remedy — independence — and  were  ready  to  risk  every-     Parties 

thing  to  secure  it. 

On  the  1st  of  April,  1895,  Antonio  Maceo,  accompanied  by 
twenty-two  comrades  of  the  Ten- Years'  War,  coming  from  Costa 
Rica,  landed  on  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island.  The  Spanish 
cavalry  were  on  the  watch  for  them,  and  a  sharp  fight  followed,  in 
which  several  of  the  Cubans  were  killed  and  Maceo  had  a  narrow 
escape.  He  succeeded,  however,  in  shaking  off  his  pursuers,  and 
threaded  his  way  westward,  living  on  the  tropical  fruits  that  grow 
wild  in  the  woods.  He  was  still  advancing  with  the  caution  of  an 
Indian  scout,  when,  a  little  way  north  of  Guantanamo,  he  ran  directly 
into  an  insurgent  camp.  When  they  discovered  that  he  was  the 
Maceo  who  had  fought  with  so  much  brilliancy  in  the  Ten- Years' 
War,  they  were  wild  with  enthusiasm.  He  assumed  command  of  all 
the  insurgent  troops  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  knowledge  that  he 
had  taken  the  field  rapidly  spreading,  gave  an  impetus  to  recruiting 
and  led  to  the  most  determined  efforts  by  the  Spanish  authorities  to 
crush  him. 

In  several  sharp  skirmishes,  Maceo  more  than  held  his  own,  and 
thus  added  to  the  patriotic  enthusiasm  of  his  followers.     On  April 
n,  1895,  Gomez  and  Jose  Marti  landed  on  the  southern  coast  from 
Santo  Domingo.     With  difficulty  they  eluded  the  Spanish  patrols    Death  of 
and  pickets,  and  reached  an  insurgent  camp,  where  the  scarred  vet-      Marti 
eran  assumed  his  duties  as  commander-in-chief.     With  several  thou 
sand  men,  Gomez  and  Marti  headed  towards  the  central  provinces, 
with  the  purpose   of   arranging  for  a    Constituent    Assembly,   but 
Marti  was  led  into  an  ambush  by  a  treacherous  guide  and  killed. 

By  this  time,  the  captain-general  comprehended  the  serious  task 
on  his  hands.  The  flames  of  insurrection  were  spreading  like  a  prairie 
fire,  and,  in  response  to  Calleja's  calls,  Spain  sent  more  than  25,000 
troops  to  quell  the  rebellion.  Hope  was  greatly  strengthened  by  the 
arrival,  on  April  16,  of  Field-Marshal  Campos  at  Santiago  de  Cuba,  on 


1846 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
BXPAN- 

SION 


Failure 

of  the 

Trochas 


his  way  to  Havana  to  relieve  Calleja.  It  was  Campos  who  brought 
the  Ten -Years'  War  to  a  close,  and  the  feeling  was  general  that  he 
would  again  be  successful. 

Campos  now  made  the  attempt  to  divide  Cuba  into  zones  by  a 
number  of  powerfully  guarded  military  lines,  crossing  the  island 
from  north  to  south,  and  by  advancing  eastward  in  irresistible  force 
to  drive  the  insurgents  into  the  sea.  The  plan  appeared  to  be  a 
good  one,  but  proved  a  failure.  The  trochas  were  crossed  at  will  by 
the  rebels,  and  the  Spanish  regulars  were  continually  harassed  by 

the  Cubans,  who 
avoided  general 
engagements  with 
the  greatly  superior 
forces  and  confined 
themselves  to  guer 
rilla  tactics. 

Gomez  felt 
strong  enough  in 
June  to  invade 
Puerto  Principe, 
and  force  his  way 
to  his  old  cam- 
paigning-ground, 
where  recruits 
flocked  to  his 
standard  by  the 
hundred.  Some 
what  later,  Maceo, 
who  was  in  Santiago  province,  moved  against  Bayamo  and  captured 
several  trainloads  of  provisions  on  the  way  to  that  place.  The 
garrison  was  soon  in  such  sore  straits  that  Campos,  at  the  head 
of  1,500  men,  marched  to  its  relief.  While  yet  several  miles  from 
Bayamo,  he  was  furiously  assailed  by  Maceo  with  a  superior  force 
and  decisively  defeated,  sustaining  a  loss  of  more  than  1 20  men  and 
officers.  Had  Maceo  been  provided  with  artillery,  the  Spanish  force 
would  have  been  annihilated. 

Campos  is  one  of  Spain's  ablest  generals,  and  everything  that  was 

possible  was  done  by  him.     The  reinforcements  which  reached  him 

.  late  in    summer  included  the  best   veterans   in   the   Spanish   army. 


GEN.    MAXIMO  GOMEZ 


CHAP,  xcvm     McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1847 


He  concentrated  his  troops  at  strong  points  on  the  railways  and 
along  the  trochas,  and  used  the  utmost  vigilance.  The  seaports, 
being  powerfully  garrisoned  and  under  the  protecting  guns  of  the 
enemy's  warships,  were  always  beyond  reach  of  the  rebels. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  autumn  campaign,  the  Cubans  had 
fully  20,000  men 
in  the  field,  and 
they  displayed  the 
same  frightful  fer 
ocity  as  the  Span 
iards.  Not  only  did 
they  fight  with  the 
fury  of  desperation, 
but  they  blew  up 
trains  and  bridges 
with  dynamite, 
levied  mercilessly 
upon  the  planters, 
utterly  destroyed 
plantations,  and, 
still  avoiding  open 
fighting,  harried 
the  enemy  without 
cessation. 

The  campaign  of 
1896  opened  the 
new  policy  of  the 
insurgents,  which 
was  destruction 
rather  than  fight 
ing.  The  purpose 
of  this  was  to  shut 
off  the  revenues  of  Spain  from  the  productions  of  Cuba,  thereby 
striking  the  mother  country  in  its  most  sensitive  spot,  and  leaving 
her  to  choose  between  utter  ruin  and  independence  for  the  island. 
Accordingly,  Gomez  advanced  westward  again,  not  resting  until  he 
•entered  Havana  province.  Bearing  in  mind  Maceo's  lodgment  in 
Pinar  del  Rio,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Cubans  had  crossed  every 
province  and  passed  the  entire  length  of  the  island.  The  campaign 


Copyright  i&)8,  by  The  International  Society 

GENERAL  VALERIANO  WEYLER 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPAN 
SION 
1808 


Mutual 
Ferocity 


Failure 
of 

Campos 


1848 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPAN 
SION 
1808 


A 

Strong 
Trocha 


Progress 

of 
the  War 


of  Campos  had  proved  a  failure,  and  he  was  criticised  so  viciously  for 
his  humane  and  civilized  methods  that  he  returned  to  Spain,  and  was 
succeeded  by  one  of  the  worst  miscreants  that  figure  on  the  pages  of 
history.  This  was  Valeriano  Weyler,  who  arrived  early  in  February. 

The  new  captain  -general  established  two  trochas,  or  military  lines 
of  fortified  posts,  across  the  island,  one  from  Jucaro  to  Moron  in  the 
western  part  of  the  province  of  Puerto  Principe,  while  the  other, 
shorter  and  stronger,  reached  from  Mariel  on  the  north  to  Majana  on 
the  south,  barely  within  the  eastern  boundary  of  Pinar  del  Rio.  This 
latter  trocha  was  made  of  barbed  wire  fence,  four  feet  high,  with  a 
trench  three  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  forty  yards  to  the  rear, 
including  also  a  breastwork  of  palmetto  logs.  Still  farther  to  the 
rear  were  the  log- houses  which  sheltered  the  troops.  The  sentinels 
were  posted  directly  behind  the  barbed  wire,  and,  though  the  trocha 
was  only  twenty-three  miles  in  length,  it  required  15,000  men  to 
guard  the  line.  Its  object  was  to  keep  Maceo  in  the  province  of  Pinar 
del  Rio,  and  to  prevent  a  junction  of  the  two  divisions  of  the  revolu 
tionary  army.  It  was  a  formidable  obstacle,  but  ineffective  for  its 
purpose.  Maceo,  with  a  small  force  of  troops,  crossed  it  on  the  night 
of  December  4,  1896,  with  the  purpose  of  consulting  with  Gomez. 
He  met  his  death  three  days  later,  through  the  treachery,  as  is  gener 
ally  believed,  of  Dr.  Zertucha,  his  personal  physician.  The  successor 
of  Maceo  was  General  Rins  Rivera. 

The  numerical  strength  of  the  insurgents  was  undoubtedly  over 
estimated,  but  the  revolution  had  assumed  such  proportions  that 
Spain  was  obliged  continually  to  send  reinforcements  to  Cuba. 
Thousands  of  these  were  the  flower  of  the  army,  doomed  to  perish 
miserably  in  the  pestilential  swamps  of  the  island,  while  the  strength 
of  the  insurgents  steadily  increased 

Weyler's  policy  may  be  given  in  a  sentence:  the  extermination 
of  the  rebels  root  and  branch.  His  vigor  gave  him  a  few  successes 
at  first,  and  the  Madrid  authorities  were  continually  cheered  by  his 
telegrams  announcing  the  rapid  progress  of  his  methods  of  pacifica 
tion.  Nevertheless,  the  rebellion  grew,  and  the  hospitals  of  Havana 
were  filled  with  the  sick  and  wounded  Spanish  soldiers.  In  the 
spring  of  1897,  Rivera  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  and  military 
operations  in  Pinar  del  Rio  dwindled  to  indecisive  guerrilla  fighting. 
Although  Rivera  was  released  some  months  later,  he  accomplished 
nothing  of  account.  As  early  as  January  1 1,  1897,  Weyler' proclaimed 


CHAP,  xcvm    McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1849 


the  pacification  of  the  Havana,  Matanzas,  and  Pinar  del  Rio  provinces, 
and  followed  up  the  proclamation  by  the  fiercest  possible  warfare 
throughout  Matanzas.  His  pacification  proclamations  soon  became  a 
grim  jest,  and  his  brutality  caused  censure  by  the  Liberalists  in  Madrid. 

The  insurgents  never  lost  their  hold  upon  Santiago  and  Puerto 
Principe  provinces 
in  the  East.  By 
strenuous  and 
brave  efforts,  the 
Spaniards  held  the 
Bayamo  district 
until  Apr  il  2  5, 
1898,  when  the 
opening  of  the 
war  with  the 
United  States 
compelled  its 
a  ba  nd  onment. 
Throughout  most 
of  the  year,  the 
principal  opera 
tions  of  the  insur 
gents  were  those 
of  General  Calixto 
Garcia,  a  veteran 
of  the  Ten -Years' 
War,  and  next  in 
rank  to  Gomez. 
He  was  prevented  for  a  long  time  from  effecting  a  junction  with  his 
chief  by  the  greatly  strengthened  Jucara-Moron  trocha,  Gomez  in  the 
mean  time  being  active  in  the  Santa  Clara  province. 

Now  came  Weyler's  fearful  policy  of  "reconcentration,"/  which 
seemed  the  only  possible  hope  of  crushing  the  rebellion.  Since 
the  country  people  sympathized  with  the  struggling  patriots,  and 
aided  them  so  far  as  they  dared,  it  was  determined  to  bring  them 
into  the  cities,  where  they  could  raise  nc  food  for  the  insurgents  and 
must  themselves  starve  to  death. 

With  not  a  throb  of  pity  in  a  Spanish  breast,  the  miserable 
reconcentrados  died  by  the  thousand,  until  a  quarter  of  a  jnillion 


GEN.  CALIXTO  GARCIA 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR. 

COLONIAL 
EXPAN 
SION 
1808 


A 

Fearful 
Policy 


1850 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  xcvra 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPAN 
SION 
1898 


Relief 
for  the 
Cubans 


breathed  out  their  lives  amid  the  pangs  of  starvation  and  disease. 
There  was  nothing  under  the  law  of  nations  to  prevent  this  unspeak 
able  crime,  for  the  reconcentrados  were  not  prisoners  of  war  for  whom 
Spain  would  have  been  obliged  to  provide.  But  our  Government  pro 
tested  so  earnestly  that  in  October,  1897,  the  Spanish  authorities  went 

through  the  form  of 
instituting  a  few 
weak  measures  for 
the  relief  of  the  suf 
ferers.  Themindfails 
to  grasp  the  awful 
truth  that  Spain  de 
liberately  starved  10 
death  one-sixth  of  the 
inhabitants  in  Cuba. 
The  act,  like  the 
Armenian  massa 
cres,  was  among  the 
greatest  crimes  in 
history. 

President  McKin- 
ley  was  so  deeply  im 
pressed  by  the  reports 
which  Consul- Gen 
eral  Lee  made  to  him 
of  these  horrors,  that 
shortly  after  his  in 
auguration  he  asked 


SENOR  SAQASTA,  PRIME  MINISTER  OF  SPAIN 


Congress  for  a  grant  of  $50,000  for  the  relief  of  the  .reconcentrados, 
and  the  return  to  the  United  States  of  such  Americans  as  wished  to 
leave  the  island.  The  grant  was  promptly  made,  and  in  the  latter  part 
of  1897  the  Red  Cross  Association,  one  of  the  most  beneficent  organiza 
tions  that  ever  existed,  undertook  to  minister  to  the  relief  of  the  perish 
ing  people.  Clara  Barton,  president  of  the  American  section,  was  still  in 
Armenia,  where  she  was  busy  with  her  divine  work,  but  she  made  haste  to 
return  to  America  and  threw  all  her  energies  into  labor  for  the  dying 
multitudes  in  Cuba.  The  cry  from  that  island  was  so  distressful  that 
independent,  movements  were  set  on  foot.  Supplies  and  money  came 
from  all  sections,  and  though  it  was  impossible  to  relieve  a  quarter  of 
the  sufferers,  much  was  done  in  that  direction. 


CHAP,  xcvm     McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1851 


President  McKinley  said  in  his  special  message  of  April  n,  1898, 
that  the  manner  in  which  the  committee,  in  charge,  had  attended  to 
the  distribution  of  funds  and  supplies  which  had  been  sent  to  Cuba, 

.  ' 

was  the  means  of  relieving  a  great  amount  of  suffering  and  of  saving 
many  thousands  of  lives. 

The  Spanish  authorities  at  Madrid  were  shamed  into  voting  some 
$600,  ooo  for  the  dying  reconcentrados,*  and  Captain-General  Ramon 
Blanco,  who  succeeded  Weyler,  recalled  in  October,  1  897,  rescinded 


PERIOD 


EXPANSION 


A  SUGAR  PLANTATION,  CUBA 

his  predecessor's  inhuman  order ;  but  it  was '  too  late  to  undo  the 
fearful  mischief,  and  the  thousands  continued  to  die  like  so  many 
infected  sheep. 

Sagasta,  the  leader  of  the  Liberal  Party  in  Spain,  was  open  in  his 
denunciation  of  Weyler,  and  was  steadily  gaining  strength  over  the 
Conservative  ministry,  when,  August  6,  1897,  Canovas,  prime  minis 
ter,  was  assassinated,  and  some  time  later  a  new  cabinet  was  formed 

*  "  How  much  of  that  sum  will  be  expended  for  the  benefit  of  the  sufferers  ?"  was 
asked  of  General  Lee  by  the  Foreign  Relations  Committee  of  the  United  States  Senate. 
"  Not  a  dollar,"  was  the  prompt  response  of  General  Lee.  "  It  will  all  be  divided  among 
the  officials  themselves."  And  such  has  been  the  custom  for  centuries  in  the  country 
that  is  said  to  be  the  proudest  in  Europe,  and  whose  sons  consider  their  honor  more  to 
be  valued  than  life  itself. 


Death  of 
Canovas 


CHAP,  xcviri       M-KTNT.KY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1853 


with  Sagasta  at  the  head.  They  pledged  themselves  to  grant  auton 
omy  or  home  rule  to  Cuba,  and  in  the  mean  time  to  push  the  war  with 
greater  vigor  than  before. 

The  Cubans  might  have  been  won  over  to  autonomy  had  it  been 
possible  to  forget  the  treachery  of  Spain  twenty  years  previous. 
They  absolutely  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  scheme; 
and  their  hatred  of  it  was  no  less  bitter  than  that  of  the  "  Weyler- 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


Copyright  I&)S,  by  Karl  Decker 

A  GROUP  OF  GUERRILLAS  IN  CAMP 

ites,"  who  opposed  showing  any  mercy  or  consideration  to  the 
rebels.  Thus  placed  between  two  fires,  autonomy  was  doomed  from 
the  first. 

General  Ramon  Blanco,  the  successor  of  Weyler,  arrived  in  Ha 
vana  on  the  last  day  of  October,  1897.      He  seems  to  have  made  an    Captain- 
honest  effort  to  better  the  horrible  condition  of  things  and  to  treat 
the  insurgents  with  justice,  but  he  was  so  hampered  as  to  become 
powerless.*     On  the  8th  of  November  he  issued  an  amnesty  procla- 

*  Don   Ramon  Blanco  y  Erenas,  Marquis  of  Pena  Plata,  became  distinguished  in  the 
war  against  the  Carlists.      He  was  captain-general  of  Cuba  in  1879,  and  he  has  been  gov- 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1808 


Cuban 
Govern 
ment 
Or 
ganized 


mation,  and  not  an  insurgent  paid  any  attention  to  it.  Fighting 
went  on  as  before,  and  the  ruined  sugar-mills  were  not  disturbed. 
No  decisive  advantage  was  gained  by  either  side.  As  regarded  the 
scheme  of  autonomy,  Gomez  notified  Blanco  that  any  one  who  at 
tempted  to  visit  the  insurgent  camps  with  such  an  offer  would  be 
treated  as  a  spy  and  shot.  Not  only  was  this  fearful  warning  uttered, 

but  in  more  than  one  in 
stance  it  was  carried  out 
in  spirit  and  letter. 

It  will  be  remembered 
that  Jose  Marti  was  killed 
early  in  the  revolutionary 
movement.  When  the 
confusion  resulting  from 
the  leader's  loss  had  part 
ly  subsided,  the  first  Con 
stituent  Assembly  met 
in  the  province  of  Pu 
erto  Principe,  September 
13>  l&95-  There-  were 
members  present  from 
all  the  provinces,  and  the 
Cuban  Government  was 
formally  organized  by  the 
adoption  of  a  constitu 
tion.  The  supreme  pow 
er  was  vested  in  a  Gov 
ernment  Council,  which 
was  to  be  composed  of 
the  president  of  the  Re 
public,  the  vice-president,  and  the  secretaries  of  war,  of  the  interior, 
of  foreign  affairs,  and  of  agriculture  with  a  sub-treasury  for  each  of 
the  departments. 

The  organization  was  effected  on  September  19,  with  Salvador 
Cisneros  Betancourt  as  president,  and  Bartolome  Masso  as  vice-presi 
dent,  while  Dr.  Thomas  Estrada  Palma  was  made  minister  pleni 
potentiary  and  diplomatic  agent  abroad,  with  headquarters  in  the 


SENOR  DUPUY  DE  LOME 


ernor  at  Catalonia  and  in  the  Philippines.      He  is  not  so  lenient  as  Campos  nor  so  merci 
less  as  Weyler. 


CHAP,  xcvm       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1855 


United  States.     Gomez  was  confirmed  as  general-in-chief  of  the  army,      PERIOD 
with  Maceo  as  second  in  command. 

OUR 

The  presidential  term  was  fixed  at  two  years.     The  second  ad-    £°r™s£i 
ministration,  elected  and  installed  at  Yaza,  October  20,    1897,  was       l898 
composed  as  follows : 


President, 
Vice- President, 


Bartolome  Mass6 
Domingo  Mendez  Capote 


Cofyright  1898,  by  Karl  Decker 

ANOTHER  TYPE  OF  CUBAN  BLOCK  HOUSE 


Cabinet 


Secretary  of  War, 
Secretary  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 
Secretary  of  the  Interior, 


Jose  B.  Aleman 

Andreo  Moreno  de  la  Torre     Second 

.         Adminis- 
Krnesto  Font  Stirling     tration 

Manuel  Ramos  Silva 


Assistant   Secretary  of  War,  Rafael  de  Cardenas ;  Assistant  Secre- 
tary  of  Fortign  Affairs,  Nicolas  Alverdi ;  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 


i856 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvin 


1893 


Sympa 
thy  with 

the 
Cubans 


The    Cuban     capital    of    necessity  was    an    itinerant    one,    the 
exigencies    of    war    compelling    it     frequently    to     shift     from    one 
point    to    another.     While    the   friends    of    Cuba    in    Congress    in 
sisted  upon  the  recogni 
tion  of  the  Cuban  Gov 
ernment,    it    is     unques 
tionably    a    fact  that   it 
was  never  entitled  by  the 
law   of    nations  to    such 
recognition. 

The  atrocity  of  Spain 
toward  the  Cubans  and 
the  frightful  sufferings  of 
the  latter  created  an  in 
tense  sympathy  through 
out  the  United  States  for 
the  revolutionists,  and  an 
equally  intense  hostility 
against  the  Madrid  Gov 
ernment.  The  good  of 
fices  which  President 
Cleveland  tendered  were 


'CAPTAIN  CHARLES  D.  SIGSBEE 


declined,  as  were  those  of 
President  McKinley,  but 

Sagasta  saw  the  storm  that  was  rising,  and  tried  to  hold  our  Gov 
ernment  inactive  by  promises  and  partial  reforms.  At  the  same 
time,  the  Spanish  war  office  strained  every  nerve  toward  building  a 
navy  so  much  more  powerful  than  ours  that  we  would  not  dare  to  go 
to  war. 

The  impatience  and  irritation  of  the  American  nation  increased 
under  the  growing  horrors  in  Cuba,  the  incapacity  and  cruelty  of 
Spain,  and  the  exasperating  charges  freely  made  in  the  Spanish 
press  that  the  prolongation  of  the  war  was  due  to  the  aid  given  by 
Americans  to  Cubans.  In  some  instances  there  were  grounds  for 
these  charges,  but  the  success  of  many  of  the  filibustering  expedi 
tions,  as  already  shown,  was  due  to  the  help  of  the  Spanish  officials 


1858  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcvm 

PERIOD      themselves,  while  our  Government  put  forth  the  most  vigorous  ef 
forts  to  check  all  illegal  enterprises. 

Public  opinion  was  in  this  sensitive  state  when  a  Cuban  sympa 
thizer  stole  from  the  Havana  post-office  a  letter  written  by  Senor 
Don  Dupuy  De  Lome,  the  Spanish  minister  in  Washington,  to  Sefior 
Canalejas,  .who  had  acted  some  months  before  as  the  confidential 
agent  of  Sagasta  in  this  country.  The  thief  forwarded  the  letter  to 

DeLome 
Letter     the  Cuban  headquarters  in  New  York,  where  it  was  photographed 

and  published  on  February  9. 

In  this  letter,  President  McKinley  was  referred  to  as  a  "  low  poli 
tician,"  and  the  writer  shamelessly  admitted  the  treacherous  part  he 
was  acting  in  the  negotiations  then  pending.  There  was  but  one 
thing  for  De  Lome  to  do:  he  cabled  his  resignation,  and -in  March 
Senor  Luis  Polo  y  Bernab6  became  his  successor. 

In  accordance  with  the  custom  among  nations,  the  American  battle 
ship  Maine  was  ordered  to  Havana,  on  January  24,  1898.  This 
second-class  battleship  had  a  displacement  of  6,682  tons,  a  length  of 
318  feet,  a  breadth  of  57  feet,  and  a  speed  of  17^  knots.  Her  guns 
were  four  lo-inch  and  six  6-inch  breech-loading  rifles,  seven 
6-pounder  and  eight i -pounder  rapid-fire,  and  four  Catlings.  She  had 
four  torpedo-tubes,  and  her  armor  was  1 2  inches  on  the  sides,  8  inches 
on  the  turrets/ 1 2  inches  on  the  barbettes,  and  2  inches  on  the  deck. 
She  had  34  officers  and  370  men,  and  cost  $2,500,000.  Captain 
Charles  D.  Sigsbee  was  the  commander. 

On  Tuesday  night,  February  15,  1898,  at  forty  minutes  past  nine 
o'clock,  while  the  Maine  lay  quietly  at  anchor,  she  was  destroyed  by 
an  appalling  explosion,  and  266  officers  and  men  were  killed — most 
of  them  by  being  wedged  and  mangled  in  the  crush  of  the  wreck, 
where  those  yet  living  were  held  fast  and  drowned  by  the  immediate 
sinking  of  the  shattered  battleship. 

The  news  of  this  disaster  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  throughout  the 
world,  instantly  followed  by  a  feeling  of  almost  irrestrainable  rage 
on  the  part  of  Americans,  for  scarcely  one  person  in  a  thousand 
tion  of  doubted  that  the  explosion  was  the  work  of  Spanish  officials,  and  that 
"Maine"  ^  ^ad  ^een  done  deliberately.  Had  this  been  established  beyond  all 
question,  the  tempest  of  indignation  that  swept  over  the  country 
would  have  carried  everything  before  it.  But  the  doubt  remained, 
and  the  Americans  gave  a  proof  of  their  wonderful  power  of  self-con 
trol  by  patiently  awaiting  the  verdict  of  the  Board  of  Inquiry  at  once 


CHAP,  xcvni       McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1859 


organized  by  the  Government,  and  consisting  of  Captain  W.  T. 
Sampson,  Captain  F.  E.  Chadwick,  Lieutenant  W.  P.  Potter,  and 
Lieutenant-Commander  Adolph  Marix. 

The  investigation  was  of  the  most  thorough  and  impartial  nature, 
and  continued  for  twenty-three  days,  every  means  that  could  possibly 
throw  any  light  upon  the  tragedy  being  employed.  The  report  was 
made  March  28,  being  dated  a  week  earlier,  and  may  be  given  in  the 
original  words : 

"  The  Court  found  that  the  loss  of  the  Maine,  on  the  occasion 
named,  was  not  in  any  respect  due  to  fault  or  negligence  on  the  part 
of  any  of  the  officers  of  said  vessel. 

"  In  the  opinion  of  the  Court,  the  Maine  was  destroyed  by  the 
explosion  of  a  submarine  mine,  which  caused  the  partial  explosion  of 
two  or  more  of  her  forward  magazines. 

"  The  Court  has  been  unable  to  obtain  evidence  fixing  the  re 
sponsibility  for  the  destruction  of  the  Maine  upon  any  person  or 
persons. "  * 

*  In  the  momentous  events  that  soon  followed,  all  interest  in  the  identity  of  the  crimi 
nals  seemed  to  disappear.  There  is  more  than  one  person  high  in  authority  who  claims  that 
he  could  name  the  two  men  who  exploded  the  submarine  mine.  The  probabilities  are  that 
they  were  "  Weylerites,"  who  lost  patience  with  what  they  regarded  as  the  weakness  of 
the  Spanish  Government,  and  took  this  method  of  expressing  their  hatred  of  all  Ameri 
cans.  The  penalty  which  their  country  was  compelled  to  pay  for  their  unspeakable 
crime  was  indeed  a  heavy  one. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


Verdict 

of  the 

Board  of 

Inquiry 


CHAPTER    XCIX 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION— 1897-1901 
(CONTINUED) 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  (Continued) 
Opening-  of  the  War — Battle  of  Manila 

[Authorities  :  It  may  or  may  not  be  true  that  the  blowing  up  of  the  Maine  was  the 
immediate  cause  of  the  war  between  our  country  and  Spain.  The  latter  yielded  so  much 
ground  during  the  diplomatic  negotiations  between  the  two  countries  that  many  believe  she, 
foreseeing  the  inevitable  loss  of  Cuba,  would  in  the  end  have  peaceably  parted  with  the 
island  ;  but  Spanish  tenacity  on  all  questions  affecting  the  "  honor"  of  her  people  makes 
it  probable  that  she  had  already  gone  as  far  as  pacific  means  could  induce  her  to  go.  The 
moral  certainty  that,  while  Spain  was  not  the  actual  criminal,  the  crime  was  committed  by 
Spaniards,  roused  to  the  uttermost  depth  the  rage  of  the  American  nation.  "  Remember 
the  Maine!  "  was  not  the  cry  of  a  puritanical  and  forgiving  people,  but  it  was  the  voice 
of  an  outraged  nation  which  felt  that  the  smiting  hand  had  been  stayed  too  long.  The 
authorities  are  of  the  same  general  character  as  those  named  at  the  head  of  the  preceding 
chapter.] 

[HE  opening  of  the  year,  with  all  the  signs  pointing 
to  war  with  Spain,  found  the  United  States  wholly 
unprepared  for  hostilities.  There  were  hardly 
two  rounds  of  ammunition  apiece  for  the  guns  of 
the  coast  fortifications,  which  were — and  still  are 
— only  partly  completed,  with  many  of  the  huge 
cannon  unmounted,  and  only  a  few  battleships  in 
condition  for  effective  fighting.  A  great  naval  power  like  England, 
by  moving  promptly,  could  have  swept  the  Atlantic,  Gulf,  and  Pa 
cific  coasts,  and  destroyed  or  laid  under  contribution  every  city  and 
town  on  the  seaboard. 

But  the  American  spirit  was  undaunted,  and  no  nation  in  history 
has  surpassed  us  in  self-reliance  and  courage.  Our  resources  are 


CHAP,  xcix      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1861 


practically  limitless,  while  Spain  was  bankrupt,  and  so  weak  in  num 
bers  and  so  low  in  morale,  as  compared  with  the  United  States,  that 
in  a  fair  measurement  of  strength  it  was  inevitable  that  she  should 
be  broken  to  fragments.  Nevertheless,  she  was  defiant,  and  the  war 
spirit  was  so  dominant  that  the  cool  and  far-seeing  leaders  were 
swept  onward  by  the  current,  and  had  to  choose  between  revolution 
at  home  or  war  with  the  "young  giant  of  the  West." 

Our  Government  pushed  its  preparations  with  the  utmost  energy. 
Modern  wars  henceforward  must  be  mainly  fought  on  the  seaboard 
and  ocean.  The  coast  fortifications  were  strengthened,  material  was 
accumulated  and  distributed,  recruiting  was  hurried  in  all  branches 
of  the  service,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  mobilizing  not  only 
the  regular  army,  numbering  about  25,000  men,  but  the  National 
Guard  of  the  respective  States.  At  the  government  and  the  contrac 
tors'  shipyards  the  work  went  on  night  and  day.  All  the  available 
ships  at  home  were  bought,  and  agents  were  sent  to  Europe  to  pur 
chase  every  craft  in  the  market  that  promised  to  be  of  use,  together 
with  cannon  and  many  tons  of  ammunition.  The  monitors  and  anti 
quated  vessels  that  had  been  dozing  for  a  generation  were  roused  up, 
overhauled,  and  put  in  condition  for  coast  defence.  The  organiza 
tion  of  a  fleet  of  patrol  ships  and  of  auxiliary  cruisers  was  begun,  and 
millions  of  dollars  were  expended  in  buying  and  converting  scores  of 
merchant  vessels. 

The  war  spirit  was  universal.  The  moans  of  the  helpless  and 
dying  in  Cuba  were  not  borne  in  vain  across  the  narrow  waters. 
The  impending  war  was  to  be  one  for  humanity,  and  the  noblest 
promptings  of  manhood  stirred  the  Americans  to  action.  When 
President  McKinley  asked  for  $50,000,000  as  an  emergency  fund 
for  the  national  defence,  Congress  on  the  8th  of  March  gave  it  with 
out  debate,  and  without  a  single  vote  in  opposition.  Directly  after 
ward,  two  regiments  of  artillery  were  added  to  the  regular  army  in 
order  properly  to  man  the  heavy  defensive  guns  at  different  points 
on  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  seaboards. 

The  President  had  been  a  brave  soldier  throughout  the  Civil  War, 
and  had  proven  his  exalted  patriotism.  He  knew  the  fearful  meaning 
of  war,  and  dreaded  to  see  the  "unleashing  of  the  dogs."  Amid  the 
rising  tempest  of  indignation  he  never  once  lost  his  self -poise,  but 
strove  with  all  the  ability  and  energy  of  his  nature  to  reach  the  benefi 
cent  end  in  view  through  peaceful  means.  The  report  of  the  Naval 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Spain's 
War 
Spirit 


Ameri 
can  En 
thusiasm 


i862 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


The 
Presi 
dent's 

Delibera 
tion 


Board  of  Inquiry  that  the  Maine  was  blown  up  by  an  external  mine 
was  made  on  the  28th  of  March.  His  historical  message  to  Congress, 
on  April  1 1,  was  withheld  in  order  to  give  the  American  residents  in 
Cuba  time  to  leave,  and  with  the  hope  also  that  the  anger  of  his  own 
people  would  cool. 

A  nation  that  is  slow  to  wrath  is  the  more  terrible  when  it  is 
roused.     Unable  to  stay  the  fast-rising  storm,  the  President,  in  his 


The 
Joint 

Resolu 
tion  of 

Congress 


SCEf 


SAN  JUAN,   MATANZAS 


Cuban  message  of  April  1 1,  laid  the  facts  before  Congress,  to  which 
body  he  submitted  the  whole  matter. 

An.  impassioned  debate  followed,  and  several  days  passed  before 
the  two  branches  reached  an  agreement,  the  point  of  variance  being 
the  question  of  recognizing  the  insurgents  in  Cuba.  Finally,  on  the 
iQth  day  of  April,  the  following  joint  resolution,  of  which  Senator 
Joseph  B.  Foraker  of  Ohio  was  the  author,  was  adopted,  and  ap 
proved  the  next  day  by  the  President: 

"  JOINT  RESOLUTION — For  the  recognition  of  the  independence  of 
the  people  of  Cuba,  demanding  that  the  Government  of  Spain  relin 
quish  its  authority  and  government  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  and  with 
draw  its  land  and  naval  forces  from  Cuba  and  Cuban  waters,  and 


CHAP,  xcix       McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1863 


directing  the  President  of  the  ,  United  States  to  use  -  the  land  and 
naval  forces  of  the  United  States  to  carry  .these  resolutions  into 
effect. 

"  Whereas,  the  abhorrent  conditions  which  have  existed  for  more 
than  three  years  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  so  near. our  own  borders, 
have  shocked  the  moral  sense  of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  have 
been  a  disgrace  to  Chris 
tian  civilization,  culmina 
ting,  as  they  have,  in  the 
destruction  of  a  United 
States  battleship,  with  two 
hundred  and  sixty-six  of 
its  officers  and  crew,  wHile 
on  a  friendly  visit  in 
the  harbor  of  Havana,  and 
cannot  longer  be  endured, 
as  has  been  set  forth  by 
the  President  of  the 
United  States  in  his  mes 
sage  to  Congress  of  April 
11,  1898,  upon  which  the 
action  of  Congress  was  in 
vited;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  By  the  Sen 
ate  and  House  of  Rep 
resentatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  in  Con 
gress  assembled, 

"i.  That  the  people  of 

the  island  of  Cuba  are,  and  of  a  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde 
pendent. 

"  2.  That  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to  demand,  and  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  does  hereby  demand,  that  the 
Government  of  Spain  at  once  relinquish  its  authority  and  govern 
ment  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  and  withdraw  its  land  and  naval  forces 
from  Cuba  and  Cuban  waters. 

"  3.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he  hereby 
is,  directed  and  empowered  to  use  the  entire  land  and  naval  forces 
of  the  United  States,  and  to  call  into  the  actual  service  of  the  United 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


SENATOR  JOSEPH  B.  FORAKER 


Manly 
Words 


1864 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


States  the  militia  of  the  several  States  to  such  an  extent  as  may  be 
necessary  to  carry  these  resolutions  into  effect. 

"  4.   That  the  United  States  hereby  disclaims  any  disposition  or 
intention  to  exercise  sovereignty,  jurisdiction,  or  control  over  said 
island  except  for  the  pacification  thereof,  and  asserts  its  determina 
tion,  when  that  is  accomplished,  to  leave  the  government  and  control 
Object  of  of  the  island  to  its  people." 

vention         The  President  was  prompt  in  obeying  the  instructions  of  Con 
gress.     The  ultimatum  to  Spain  was  sent  April  20,  and  consisted 


THE  CHURCH  OF  MONSERRATE,  MATANZAS 

of  three  parts.  The  first  explained  that  the  United  States  demanded 
the  evacuation  of  Cuba  by  the  Spanish ;  the  second,  that  the  Presi 
dent  had  been  ordered  by  Congress  to  use  the  land  and  naval  forces 
of  the  United  States  to  enforce  this  demand;  and  the  third,  that  the 
President  must  have  an  answer  within  forty-eight  hours. 

Spanish        Even  at  this  delicate  stage  of  proceedings,  Spain  indulged  in  a 

Trickery  characteristic  act  of  trickery.     The  President's  ultimatum  was  sent, 

as  is  the  custom  in  such  cases,  to  General  Stewart  L.  Woodford,  our 

minister  at  Madrid,  to  be  delivered  by  him  to  the  authorities  of  the 

country.     The  contents  of  the  cablegram  were  first  shown  to  the 


/ 


UNITED  STATES  MINISTER  TO  SPAIN 


i866 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1808 


First 

Prizes 

of  the 

War 


officials,  who,  after  considering  the  matter  for  several  hours,  sent 
General  Woodford's  passports  to  him,  thus  preventing  him  from 
delivering  the  ultimatum,  since  the  act  deprived  him  of  all  standing 
at  court.  Our  minister  had  only  to  leave  the  country,  which,  after 
reporting  the  facts  to  his  own  Government,  he  proceeded  to  do.  On 
his  way  to  the  Spanish  frontier  he  was  subjected  to  insult  and  at 

times  was  in  personal 
danger.  It  is  generally 
held  that  the  returning 
of  a  foreign  representa 
tive's  passports  is  equiv 
alent  to  a  declaration  of 
war  against  his  country. 
At  any  rate,  there  could 
be  no  doubt  in  the  case 
of  General  Woodford  that 
the  act  was  Spain's  an 
swer  to  our  ultimatum. 

Meanwhile,  S  e  n  o  r 
Polo,  the  Spanish  min 
ister  at  Washington, 
asked  for  his  passports 
(April  20),  and  was  ac 
companied  by  several 
American  detectives  on 
his  journey  to  Canada. 
In  "no  instance  did  he 
suffer  the  le'ast  annoy 
ance,  although  before 
leaving  Washington  he  was  outspoken  in  his  denunciation  of  our 
countrymen. 

The  war  opened  on  Friday,  April  22,  by  the  Nashville  s  capture 
of  the  Buena  Ventura  and  the  New  York's  capture  of  the  Pedro. 
Within  a  few  days  the  captured  vessels  numbered  nearly  a  score, 
with  an  aggregate  value  of  more  than  $3,000,000.  At  night  on  the 
25th,  the  large  Spanish  mail  steamer  Montserrat,  carrying  $800,000 
in  silver  and  eighteen  large  guns,  landed  her  valuable  cargo  and 
1,000  troops  at  Santiago. 

On  April    22,  the  United  States  proclaimed  a  blockade   of  the 


LIEUTENANT  ANDREW  S.  ROWAN 


CHAP,  xcix      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1867 


north  coast  of  Cuba  westward  from  Cardenas  to  Bahia  Honda,  a  dis-     PERIOD 
tance  of  160  miles,  of  which  Havana  is  nearly  at  the  centre.     Cien-       — 
fuegos,  on  the  south  coast,  was  also  included  in  the  blockade. 

On  Sunday,  April  24,  Spain  declared  war  with  the  United 
States,  amid  the  wildest  enthusiasm  of  all  classes  of  people.  The 
Queen  Regent's  horror  of  the  approaching  hostilities  was  pathetic, 


"BUENA  VENTURA"  CAPTURED  BY  THE  ^NASHVILLE  »    (FIRST  PRIZE  OF  THE  WAR) 

but  she  was  powerless  to  withstand  the  demands  of  the  maddened 
populace,  and  the  sentiments  she  expressed  were  belligerent  enough 
to  please  the  most  ardent  of  Spaniards. 

On    April  25,  the  House,   by  a  unanimous  vote,  declared  that 
war  was  begun  April  21   by  Spain.     This  date,    therefore,    marks  . 
the  official  opening  of  hostilities  between  the  two  countries. 

Under  the  authority  of  Act  of  Congress,  the  President,  April 
23,  issued  a  call  for  125,000  two-year  volunteers  for  the  army. 
The  patriotic  responses  from  all  parts  of  the  country  proved  that  American 

i  ,000.000  men  were  anxious  to  defend  the  honor  of  the  flag.     Two     Volun 
teers 

days  later,  the  respective  State  quotas  of  troops  having  been  deter 
mined,  calls  were  made  for  them,  and  the  answer  in  every  case  was      • 
enthusiastic. 

Lieutenant  Andrew  S.  Rowan,  of  the  Nineteenth  Infantry,  on 
April  24  landed  near  Santiago  and  penetrated  the  interior  to  meet 

IT9 


1868 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD  General  Garcia  to  perfect  plans  for  co-operation  between  the  Cubans 
and  the  United  States  forces.  The  following  day,  the  Spaniards 
evacuated  Bayamo,  in  the  province  of  Santiago,  which  was  occupied 
by  the  insurgents.  Chairman  Dingley  reported  a  war  revenue  bill 
to  the  House  (April  26),  and  President  McKinley  announced  our 
adherence  to  the  anti-privateering  agreement  of  the  Declaration  of 
Paris.  England  published  her  declaration  of  neutrality,  ordering 


VIII 
OUR 

OLONI/ 

XPANSK 
iSgS 


Eng 
land's 
Friend 
ship 


YUMURI  RIVER  AND  ENTRANCE  TO  THE  VALLEY,  MATANZAS 

our  ships  from  her  ports  within  forty-eight  hours,  and  declaring  that 
war  was  begun  by  Spain  when  she  delivered  to  Minister  Woodford 
his  passports. 

Spain  now  made  an  appeal  to  the  Powers,  but  received  no  encour 
agement  from  any  quarter.  It  is  believed  that  Germany,  France,  and 
Austria  would  have  been  glad  to  hurry  to  her  relief,  but  England,  the 
mightiest  naval  power  on  the  globe,  sternly  barred  the  way.  Isolated 
though  Great  Britain  may  be,  the  world  may  well  dread  her  wrath. 
Throughout  the  war  she  remained  our  steadfast  friend,  and  the  ties 
between  her  and  the  United  States  became  so  firmly  fixed  that  it  is 
impossible  to  believe  they  can  ever  be  broken. 


i8yo 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD          An  attack  was  made  upon  the  earthworks  defending  the  bay  of 
Matanzas  (April  27)  by  the  monitor  Puritan,  the  cruiser  Cincinnati, 


VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


and   the    flagship  JVJrw    Kv£.      The  works  were  battered  and  sil 
enced,  the  gunnery  displayed  by  the  Americans  being  of  astonish- 


CHAP,  xcix      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1871 


ing  accuracy,  while  that  of  the  enemy  was  so  poor  as  to   excite 
ridicule. 

On  the  29th,  Congress  agreed  to  a  naval  appropriation  bill  of 
nearly  $47,000,000,  and  on  the  following  day  the  House  passed  the 
bill  for  a  popular  bond  issue  of  $500,000,000. . 

There  was  general  uneasiness  regarding  the  Spanish  fleet  at  the 
Cape  Verde  Islands,  which  had 
been  warned  to  leave  by  the 
Portuguese  Government  as  a 
measure  of  neutrality.  It  was 
a  formidable  squadron,  consist 
ing  of  the  first-class  cruisers 
Vizcaya,  Almirante  Oquendo, 
Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  and 
Cristobal  Colon,  and  the  three 
torpedo-boat  destroyers,  Furor, 
Terror,  and  Pluton.  On  their 
departure,  April  29,  they 
steamed  westward,  and  caused 
much  alarm  in  this  country 
concerning  their  destination. 
While  many  believed  it  was 
Porto  Rico,  others  feared 
that  the  ships  intended  to 
bombard  some  of  the  impor 
tant  sea-coast  cities  of  the 
United  States.  This  uncer 
tainty  lasted  so  long  that  the 
whereabouts  of  the  Spanish  fleet  became  one  of  the  jests  of  the  day. 

As  a  consequence  of  'England's  proclamation  of  neutrality,  Com 
modore  George  Dewey,"-  commanding  the  American  squadron  at  Hong 
Kong,  was  compelled  to  leave  that  port,  and  the  Government  deter 
mined  to  delay  no  longer  his  offensive  movements  against  the  Philip 
pine  Islands,  one  of  the  richest  island  groups  in  the  world,  and  the 
most  valuable  of  Spain's  possessions  in  the  far  East. 

The  Philippines  were  named  in  honor  of  Philip  II.,  the  brutal 
oppressor  of  Holland  and  the  husband  of  "  Bloody  Mary"  of  England. 
The  archipelago  includes  some  1,200  islands,  less  than  one-half  of 

*  Promoted  rear-admiral.  May  10,  i8q8;  full  admiral,  March  3,  1899. 


Copyright  i&)8. 

GENERAL    AGUINALDO 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Action 

of 
Congress 


Move 
ments  oi 
Commo 
dore 

Dewey 


1872 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


which  are  habitable,  and  only  ten  or  twelve  are  of  considerable  size. 
They  lie  southeast  of  Asia,  1,200  miles  from  Australia,  and  on  3 


ot    the     ptultp-ptTie 


direct  line  between  that  island  and  Formosa.     They  extend  north  and 
south  through  fifteen  degrees  of  latitude,  and  have  the  same  latitude 


CHAP,  xcix       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1873 


as  Central  America.     Luzon  in    the  north  is  the  most  important 
of  all  the  islands,  and  has  an  area  equal  to  the  State  of  Ohio. 

The  next  island  in  size  is  Mindanao,  in  the  south.  There  is  no 
definite  knowledge  of  the  population  of  the  Philippines,  and  esti 
mates  vary  from  8,000,000  to  double  that  number.  It  is  composed 
mainly  of  Malay  tribes,  including  a  few  of  the  aboriginal  negritos — 
who  are  negroes  of  dwarfish 
stature — many  half-breeds, 
and  numerous  Chinese. 
Not  counting  the  army, 
the  pure  Spaniards  in  the 
Philippines  number  less 
than  10,000. 

As  in  Cuba,  these  isl 
ands  of  late  years  have 
been  the  scene  of  repeated 
revolts  due  to  the  misrule 
of  Spain.  These  insur 
rections  have  been  mainly 
the  work  of  men  of  mixed 
Spanish  and  native  blood, 
who  are  much  more  num 
erous  than  the  Spaniards. 
Their  principal  leader, 
Pancho  Aguinaldo,  is  a 
man  of  education  and  abil- 


GOVERNOR-GENERAL  AUGUST'N 


ity,  and  is  spoken  of  with 

high   regard    by    Admiral 

Dewey.     He  has  succeeded  in  winning  the  general  suppo't  of  the 

half-civilized  tribes,  whose  hatred  of  the  Spaniards  is  as  intense  as 

that  of  the  Cubans,  and  is  due  to  the  same  cause. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  crush  the  rebellion  in  1897,  the  Spanish 
authorities  in  November  of  that  year  bought  off  the  insurgent  chiefs 
Aguinaldo  and  Alexandro  for  $400,000  cash,  and  with  a  promise  of 
the  reforms  that  had  been  demanded.  Then  with  that  incomprehen 
sible  idiocy  which  is  the  most  distinctive  trait  of  Spanish  diplomacy, 
the  promises  were  broken,  and  the  natives  were  ripe  for  another  re 
volt  when  the  American  squadron  appeared  on  the  scene. 

Manila,  on   the   western  coast  of  the  island  of  Luzon,  has  long 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

CoLONIAk 
ExPANSIOt 


The 
Philip, 
pines 


Spanish 
Misrule 


i874 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPAASION 

1898 


Manila 


been  the  capital  of  the  Philippines,  and  Spain's  centre  of  trade  for 
the  Pacific.  It  has  a  population  of  a  quarter  of  a  million,  and  stands 
on  a  landlocked  sea  broad  enough  to  allow  all  the  navies  of  the 
world  to  ride  at  anchor.  It  has  shipped  vast  quantities  of  cigars, 
sugar,  coffee,  tobacco,  hemp,  rice,  cocoa,  mats,  and  cordage  and  cot 
ton  or  mixed  fabrics  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  It  contains  a  univer 
sity  conducted  by  the  Dominican  order  of  monies,  a  grand  cathedral, 

the  magnificent  res 
idence  of  the  gover- 
nor-g  e  n  e  r  a  1 ,  and 
numerous  handsome 
dwellings. 

Manila    Bay    has 
an    entrance    seven 
miles  wide,  and  con 
tains  several  islands, 
the  largest  of  which 
are    Corregidor  and 
Caballo,  standing  in 
the     opening,    from 
which    Manila    lies 
twenty-six  miles  dis 
tant  to  the  northeast.     The  two  channels,  divided  by  the  islands  at 
the  mouth  of  the  bay,  are  the  Boca   Grande,  five  miles  wide,  and 
Boca  Chico,  two  miles  across. 

Manila's  fortified  portion  was  the  older  and  official  part,  lying  to 
the  south,  but  no. fortifications  protected  the  city  north  of  the  Pasig 
River,  which  is  the  modern  town  of  commerce.  When  the  rela 
tions  between  Spain  and  the  United  States  became  strained,  the 
Spaniards  mounted  a  number  of  guns,  and  strengthened  the  shore 
batteries,  special  attention  being  given  to 'those  at  Cavite\  This 
town  is  a  suburb,  about  ten  miles  nearer  than  Manila  to  the  entrance 
Defences  of  the  bay,  and  standing  on  the  point  of  a  promontory. 

Spain  knew  of  the  danger  that  threatened  the  Philippines,  and 
made  preparations  that  she  was  confident  would  keep  out  or  destroy 
the  American  fleet.  Numerous  mines  were  sunk  in  the  harbor  en 
trance,  and  torredoes  strung  across  both  channels.  The  following 
constituted  the  Spanish  fleet  which  lay  in  Manila  harbor,  under  the 
command  of  Admiral  Montojo,  complacently  awaiting  the  hour  when 


of  the 
City 


CHAP,  xcix       McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1875 


the  Americans  should  dare  to  show  themselves  within  reach  of  his 
guns : 


PERIOD 
VIII 


OUR 


Vessel  and  class. 

Displace 
ment,  tons. 

Speed, 
knots. 

Guns, 
total. 

Torpedo- 
tubes. 

EXPANSION 
1898 

The 
Spanish 

Flppf 

Reina  Maria  Cristina,  steel  cruiser  

3,520 
3,342 
1,152 
1,130 
1,130 
1,130 
1,030 
524 
524 
500 

I7^z 
14 

14 

14 

16 
16 

10 

21 
22 

7 
13 
13 

12 
12 
6 

7 

5 
2 

2 
3 

3 

I 
I 

Castillo,  steel  cruiser  

Velasco,  small  cruiser  

Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa,  small  cruiser  

Don  Juan  de  Austria,  small  cruiser  

Isla  de  Cuba   small  cruiser     

Isla  de  Luzon,  small  cruiser  

General  Lezo,  gun-vessel  

Marques  del  Duero  despatch-boat             

As  a  specimen  of  Spanish  bombast,  the  following  proclamation 
by  General  Augustin,  the  governor-general,  is  worthy  of  permanent 
record : 

"The  North  American  people,  constituted  of  all  social  excres 
cences,  have  exhausted  our  patience  and  provoked  war  by  their  per 
fidious  machinations,  their  acts  of  treachery,  their  outrages  against 
the  law  of  nations  and  international  conventions.  The  struggle  will 
be  short  and  decisive.  Spain  will  emerge  triumphant  from  the  new 
test,  humiliating  and  blasting  the  hopes  of  the  adventurers  from  those 
United  States,  that,  without  cohesion,  without  history,  offer  only  infa 
mous  traditions  and  ungrateful  spectacles  in  her  chambers,  in  which 
appear  insolence,  defamation,  cowardice,  and  cynicism.  Her  squadron, 
manned  by  foreigners,  possesses  neither  instruction  nor  discipline." 

The  American  fleet,  under  Commodore  George  Dewey,  consisted 
of  six  fighting  vessels  and  three  tenders,  as  follows :  * 


Vessel,  class,  and  commander. 

Displace 
ment,  tons. 

Speed, 
knots. 

Guns, 
total. 

Torpedo- 
tubes. 

Olympia,   first-class  protected  cruiser,  flagship,  Capt. 
Charles  V.  Gridley  

55OO 

2O 

•?8 

5 

Baltimore,  protected  cruiser,  Capt.  N.  M.  Dyer...... 
Raleigh,  protected  cruiser,  Capt.  J.  B.  Coghlan  

4,400 
1  181 

20 
IO 

28 
oe 

5 
6 

Boston,  protected  cruiser,  Capt.  F.  Wildes  

"\  180 

if)tZ 

2O  - 

Concord,  gunboat,  Commander  Asa  Walker  

i  700 

17 

TC 

6 

Petrel,  gunboat.  Commander  E.  P.  Wood  

890 

T-l  lZ 

*  The  armament  includes  all  the  cannon  on  a  ship.  The  barbette  is  the  steel  wall  built 
up  from  below  and  enclosing  the  lower  half  or  more  of  the  revolving  turret,  these  turrets 
containing  the  heaviest  guns.  A  battery  is  a  group  of  guns,  or  the  place  where  they  are 
mounted.  The  conning-tower  is  the  armored  tower  at  the  base  and  forward  of  the  steel 
military  mast,  from  which,  during  an  engagement,  the  commander  can  give  his  orders  by 
means  of  telephones  and  speaking-tubes.  The  displacement  of  a  ship  is  the  weight  in  tons 


The 
Ameri 
can 
Fleet 


1876 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 


It  will  be  noted  that  the  American  fleet  was  superior  in  guns  and 
calibre;   but  the  advantage  was  far  outweighed,  as  the  Spaniards 
COLONIAL    viewed  it,  by  their  shore  batteries  and  the  mines  and  torpedoes  that 

JLXPANSION  J  -  » 

1898       their  assailants  would  have  to  encounter. 

Commodore    Dewey   with   his    fleet    left    Mirs   Bay,   near   Hong 

Kong,  where  his  ships  had  rendezvoused,  on  the  afternoon  of  Wed- 

Advance  nesday,  April  27;  and  just  as  day  was  breaking  on  the  3Oth,  was 

Manila    sighted   off   Cape    Bolinao,  about   a   hundred    miles    from    Manila. 

Steaming  southward  it  reached  Subig   Bay,  thirty  miles  from  the 

entrance  to  Manila  harbor,  expecting  to  find  Admiral  Montojo;  but 

he  had  withdrawn  to  the  protection  of  the  forts  on  shore,  and  Dewey 

followed  him  through  the  calm,  moonlit  night. 

of  the  water  displaced  by  her  hull.  A  Gatling-gun  is  the  pioneer  among  machine-guns| 
and  is  so  named  in  honor  of  its  inventor,  Dr.  R.  J.  Catling.  A  knot,  or  nautical  mile 
(6.080.27  feet),  is  nearly  one-sixth  greater  than  a  statute  mile  (5,280  feet);  the  English 
omit  the  fraction.  The  port  or  larboard  is  the  left  side  of  a  ship  as  one  looks  toward  the 
bow  ;  the  starboard  is  the  right  side.  A  machine-gun  is  worked  automatically,  and  fires 
shot  and  shell.  Marines  are  troops  enlisted  for  service  on  a  warship.  Rapid-fire  guns 
are  generally  rf  less  than  six-inch  calibre,  for  which  the  projectile  and  explosive  are  put 
up  as  one  whole.  Cv"at guns  have  the  projectile  and  explosive  put  up  separately,  and 
are  of  greater  calibre  than  six  inches.  A  squadron  is  a  detachment  of  ships  or  a  division 
'  of  a  fleet  on  a  particular  servile  or  station  :  a  sauadron  is  often  referred  to  as  a  fleet. 

A  battleship  is  heavily  armored,  and  carries  the  largest  guns;  and  in  the  American  navy 
each  is  named  for  a  State,  the  Kearsarge  being  the  only  exception.  The  average  cost  of 
a  battleship  is  $3,000.000,  exclusive  of  the  armament.  The  cruiser  is  next  in  fighting 
value  to  a  battleship,  but  has  greater  speed,  which  usually  exceeds  eighteen  knots.  The 
unprotected  cruiser  has  no  armor  protection  in  the  shape  of  armor  for  her  "  vitals,"  as  her 
engines,  boilers,  and  magazines  are  termed.  A  water-tight  deck,  of  moderate  plating, 
serves  as  a  roof  for  the  "  vitals."  K  protected  cruiser  has  deck  armor  only,  which  presents 
a  deflective  front  to  shots  passing  through  the  sides  and  threatening  the  magazines.  The 
Olympia,  Admiral  Dewey's  flagship,  is  the  best  type  of  the  protected  cruiser. 

The  armored  cruiser  like  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn  is  the  protected  cruiser  im 
proved  by  somewhat  heavier  armor  on  her  protective  deck,  about  her  turreted  guns,  and 
the  presence  of  a  band  of  water-line  vertical  armor,  three  to  four  inches  thick,  on  her 
sides  just  above  this  heavy  belt,  and  intended  as  a  protection  to  her  vitals.  She  possesses 
great  speed,  and  all  the  cruisers  are  named  for  American  cities.  The  armored  cruiser  has 
been  well  called  the  cavalryman  of  the  sea. 

A  gunboat  is  a  small  warship,  usually  of  less  than  2,000  tons.  It  is  of  light  draft,  and 
the  term  may  mean  any  small  boat  fitted  up  with  one  or  more  guns.  A  monitor  lies  very 
low  in  the  water,  is  heavily  armored,  and  carries  one  or  two  revolving  turrets,  each  with 
one  or  two  guns.  The  first  monitor  was  the  invention  of  Ericsson,  and  defeated  the  Con 
federate  iron-clad  Merrimac  in  Hampton  Roads,  in  March,  1862.  A  ram  is  sufficiently 
described  by  its  name.  Our  Katahdin  is  the  only  vessel  of  that  type  in  existence.  A 
ship  of  the  first  class  displaces  5,000  tons  or  over;  of  the  second  class,  between  5,000 
and  3,000  tons  ;  of  the  third  class,  between  3,000  and  1,000  tons  ;  of  the  fourth  class, 
below  1,000  tons,  These  terms  do  not  of  necessity  define  the  fighting  power  of  a  war« 
ship.  A  battleship  of  the  second  class  raight  well  overcome,  at  close  quarters,  one  of  the 
first  class. 


CHAP,  xcix      McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1877 


Long  before  daylight,    Sunday  morning,  May  I,  the  alarm  guns      PERIOD 
sounded  from  Corregidor  Island,  as  the  Spaniards  discovered  to  their 
consternation  that  the  fleet  was  passing  through  the  southern  en-    COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

trance  of  the  bay.      The  forts  on  the  land  side  united  with  the  can-       l898 
nonading  on  Corregidor  Island,  but  no  harm  was  done;  and  returning 
only  a  few  shots,  the  fleet  steamed  uninjured  past  the  forts,  and  over 
the   mines   and  torpedoes 
directly  into    the   harbor. 
The  flagship  Olympia  led, 
with  all  lights  obscured. 

Early  in  the  morning, 
the  Spanish  fleet  was  dis 
covered  off  Cavit6.  Com 
modore  Dewey  at  once 
ordered  his  squadron  to 
close  in  on  the  land  bat 
teries  at  Cavite",  and  upon 
the  Spanish  warships ;  and 
as  the  haze  lifted  from  the 
bay  the  battle  opened. 
With  that  superb  marks 
manship  never  before 
equalled  in  naval  warfare, 
the  Americans  poured  an 
appalling  hail  of  shot  and 
shell  into  the  doomed 
ships,  .whose  return  fire  was 
exceedingly  ill  -  directed. 

Dewey  ordered  his  ships  to  manoeuvre  continually,  to  disconcert  the  manship 
Spanish  gunners,  who  looked  to  see  him  ground  in  shallow  water' 
but  the  American  navigating  officers  had  learned  the  bay  thoroughly, 
and  their  consummate  seamanship  saved  them  from  any  such  mishap. 

The  fighting,  which  was  terrific,  lasted  about  four  hours,  with  a 
lull  midway  while  the  Americans  breakfasted  and  steamed  over  to  \ 

the  western  side  of  the  bay,  and  from  their  supply  ships  took  on 
board  coal  and  ammunition.  Accepting  this  action  as  proof  of 
defeat,  the  Spaniards  sent  exultant  telegrams  to  Madrid,  where  all 
were  thrown  into  an  ecstasy  of  delight  at  the  crushing  repulse 
administered  to  the  enemy. 


ADMIRAL  MONTOJO  OF  THE  SPANISH  FLEET  V 


Ameri 
can 

Marks- 


1878  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  xcix 

PERIOD          But  back  again  grimly  steamed  the  American  warships  to  com 
plete  their  terrible  work.     The  rattling  of  the  small-calibre  guns, 
ExpAiTsioN    the  b°om  °f  ^e  huge  rifles,  the  crash  of  the  shot  as  it  found  its 
l898       mark,  and  the  roar  of  the  exploding  shells,   made  a  pandemonium 
beyond  the  power  of  imagination  to  conceive. 

Before  long,  the  Reina  Maria   Cristina,  Admiral  Montojo's  flag- 
Renewal  ship,  broke  into  flames,  which  burned  so  fiercely  that  the  admiral 
Battle     transferred  his  flag  to  the  Isla  de  Cuba.     Hardly  was  this  effected 
when  the  Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa  took  fire;    and  soon  afterward  the 
Isla  de  Cuba  was  sunk. 

The  Americans  fired  as  coolly  as  if  at  target-practice,  and  it 
seemed' as  if  every  shot  told.  One  after  another  the  Spanish  ships 
were  put  out  of  action.  The  guns  at  Cavite  were  used  to  aid  the 
Spaniards;  but  their  work  was  as  ineffective  as  that  of  the  war 
ships.  While  fighting  the  latter,.  Dewey  engaged  Cavite,  silenced 
its  fire,  and  knocked  the  outer  fortifications  into  ruins.  In  a  short 
time  the  eleven  Spanish  ships  were  destroyed;  Admiral  Montojo 
was  wounded ;  the  captain  of  the  Reina  Maria  Christina  killed,  be 
sides  more  than  a  hundred  of  his  crew  and  a  number  of  officers.  On 
the  Don  Juan  de  Austria,  the  captain  and  ninety  of  his  men  were 
slain ;  while  many  more  Spaniards  lost  their  lives  in  attempting  to 
escape  from  the  burning  vessels.  The  total  losses  were  estimated  at 
about  a  thousand,  while  on  the  American  side  not  a  man  was  killed 
and  only  eight  wounded.  Two  formidable  submarine  mines  were 
exploded  near  the  Olympia  ;  and  two  of  our  ships  were  set  on  fire  by 
Spanish  shells,  but  the  flames  were  quickly  extinguished. 

Having  annihilated  the  fleet,  Commodore  Dewey  concentrated  his 

fire  upon  Cavit6 ;  and  though  it  made  a  fine  defence,  it  was  compelled 

A         to  surrender.     A  force  was  landed  to  occupy  the  place,  and  every 

fu?Vic-     possible  attention  was  paid  to  the  Spanish  wounded.*     The  fortifica- 

tor>       tions  of  Cavite1  were  razed,  and  those  at  Corregidor  Island  destroyed. 

Although  the  Commodore  felt  himself  able  to  take  possession  of 

Manila  whenever  he  chose,  he  deemed  it  more  prudent  to  await  the 

arrival  of  reinforcements  from  the  United  States.     Meanwhile,  he 

took  measures  to  protect  the  Spaniards  against  massacre  by  the  in- 

*  The  following  are  the  names  of  the  Spanish  warships  destroyed  :  Reina  Alaria,  Cris 
tina,  Castilla,  Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa,  Isla  de  Luzon,  Isla  de  Cuba,  General  Lezo,  Mar 
ques  del  Duero,  El  Cano,  Velasco,  cruisers  and  gunboats  ;  Isla  de  Mindanao,  transport ; 
one  other  ship  not  named. 


i88o 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP.  Xcix 


PERIOD 
VIII 


OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


surgents,   who   fought    desperately,  and   steadily  encroached    upon 
the  city. 

Secretary  Long  lost  no  time  in  telegraphing  the  thanks  of  the 
President  ih  the  name  of  the  American  people  to  Commodore  Dewey 
and  his  officers  and  men.     At  the  same  time  he  was  notified  of  his 
appointment  as  acting-admiral,  an  honor  which  was  soon  changed  by. 
Congress  into  that  of  rear-admiral. 

The  victory  of  Commodore  Dewey  was  not  only  brilliant  in  the 
highest  degree,  but  surpassed  in  its  way  anything  recorded  in  history. 
Indeed,  it  may  well  be  pronounced  a  mystery  beyond  comprehension 
from  the  fact  that  while  150  men  were  killed  on  the  Spanish  flagship 
alone,  and  every  one  of  the  enemy's  ships  was  destroyed,  not  a  man,  as 
already  stated,  among  the  Americans  lost  his  life.  The  fights  of  the 
early  Spanish  explorers,  clothed  in  coats  of  mail  and  using  firearms, 
against  naked  savages  with  bows  and  arrows,  reveal  no  such  amazing 
record. 

In  neither  of  the  fleets  were  the  warships  armored ;    nor  was "  our 
superiority  in  the  calibre  of  our  guns  or  in  the  protection  of  our 
gunners  decisive.     Many  of  our  small  guns  had  no  more  protection 
Power" in  than  those  of  the  Spaniards.     It  would  seem  that  had  all  the  latter 
Battle    been  blindfolded,  chance  alone  would  have  killed  at  least  a  score  of 
Americans.      Never  was  there  a  more  impressive  illustration  of  the 
truth  that  it  is  not  the  gun,  so  much  as  it  is  the  man  behind  the  gun, 
that  helps  to  win  battles. 


The 

Real 


ftevetme 
Q/atter 


CHAPTER    C 

Me KIN  1.  EY'S  FIR  S/    AD  MINIS  TRA  TION—  1 897- 1 90 1 
(CONTINUED) 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  (Continued) 
Naval  Operations  in  the    West  Indies 

[Authorities:  Those  of  our  readers  who  are  old  enough  to  recall  the  events  of  the 
War  for  the  Union  have  not  failed  to  note  a  certain  parallelism  between  its  opening  and 
that  of  our  war  with  Spain.  Hostilities  in  each  case  began  at  about  the  same  time  of  the 
year,  and  it  was  not  long  before  public  impatience  manifested  itself  over  what  seemed  to 
be  the  tardiness  of  the  military  operations.  Thirty-seven  years  previous  the  clamor  "  On 
to  Richmond  !"  brought  the  overwhelming  disaster  of  Bull  Run.  The  delay  in  the 
spring  of  1898  had  no  similar  woful  sequence,  for  it  was  of  briefer  duration,  and  the 
second  thought  of  the  public  told  them  that  the  President,  the  Strategy  Board,  and  the 
military  and  naval  authorities  understood  the  situation  better  than  it  was  possible  for  them 
to  understand  it.  The  confidence  reposed  in  the  judgment  of  those  who  directed  opera 
tions  was  fully  justified  by" the  fruitage  of  unexampled  victory  and  triumphs,  and  was 
another  impressive  enforcement  of  the  truth  that  in  many  situations  in  life,  the  safest 
course  is  to  make  haste  slowly,  or,  in  other  words,  to  know  the  ground  thoroughly  before 
venturing  upon  it.  The  authorities  are  of  the  same  nature  as  those  already  named.] 

|HE  war  preparations  of  our  Government  were  pushed 
without  cessation.  The  recruits  of  the  various 
State  camps  were  forwarded  to  Chickamauga,  Tam 
pa,  and  other  points,  preparatory  to  the  invasion 
of  Cuba,  which  it  was  confidently  believed  would  be 
soon  made.*  The  President  made  a  number  of 
nominations  for  major-  and  brigadier-generals,  all 
of  which  were  promptly  confirmed  by  the  Senate.  Among  these 
were  Fit?hugh  Lee  and  Joseph  H.  Wheeler,  the  famous  Confeder- 

*  The  formal  declaration  of  war  in  1812  was  embodied  in  the  act  of  June  18  of  that 
year,  and  the  first  hostilities  occurred  on  July  17.  A  skirmish  on  April  25,  1846,  pre 
ceded  our  declaration  of  war  against  Mexico,  which  was  made  May  9.  There  was 
fighting  between  France  and  the  United  States  in  1798,  and  for  several  years  following, 


i882 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 


but  no  declaration  of  war,  peace  being  restored  February  3,  1801,  by  a  formal  treaty. 
As  already  stated,  Congress  decided  on  the  25th  of  April,  1898,  that  war  with  Spain  had 
begun  on  the  2ist  of  that  month.  The  Naval  War  Board,  to  which  the  important  naval 
operations  were  referred,  consisted  of  Admiral  Sicard,  Captain  Marian  (retired),  Captain 
Crowninshield,  chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Navigation,  with  Lieut.  Alphonso  H.  Cobb  (retired) 
£5  secretary. 


CHAP,  c  McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1883 

ate   cavalry  leaders,  who  were   made  major-generals.     One  of   the  PERIOD 

beneficent   results  of  our  war  with  Spain  was  the  final  cementing  — 

of  the  union  between  the  North  and  South.     While  there  was  less  ^°^^ 

demonstration  in  the  latter  section,  the  people  could  not  have  been  l898 
more  ardent  in  their  patriotism,  and  the  mingling  of  the  veterans 
who  wore  the  blue  and  those  who  wore  the  gray  was  perfect  and 

absolute.  Union  of 

the  Blue 
It  should  be  added  that  the  war  was  the  most  popular  in  which  and  Gray 

our  country  has  ever  engaged.  It  was  eagerly  advocated  everywhere, 
and  it  has  been  shown  that  it  was  as  easy  to  obtain  a  million  as  a 
hundred  thousand  recruits  for  our  army.  The  reason  for  this  was 
that  it  was  not  solely  a  war  of  conquest,  but  one  that  appealed  to  the 
noblest  instincts  of  humanity. 

The  invasion  of  Cuba  was  delayed  by  uncertainty  regarding  the 
movements  of  the  Spanish  fleet.  The  uneasiness  as  to  its  where 
abouts  and  destination  continued,  and  there  was  alarm  in  Boston,  New 
York,  and  other  leading  cities  over  a  visit  from  the  warships,  while 
rumors  were  plentiful  that  it  intended  to  bombard  many  of  the 
seaboard  towns.  The  pressing  necessity,  therefore,  was  to  meet 
and  destroy  the  hostile  ships  before  they  could  cross  the-  Atlantic. 
Moreover,  there  would  be  great  risk  in  sending  transports,  loaded 
with  troops  to  Cuba,  where  they  would  be  subject  to  annihilation  by 
Admiral  Cervera,  the  commander  of  the  Spanish  fleet.  On  the  4th 
of  May,  the  fighting  ships  of  Admiral  Sampson  sailed  from  Key 
West  in  search  of  the  enemy.  Eight  days  later  news  was  received 
that  the  Spanish  Cape  Verde  squadron  had  arrived  at  Martinique, 
West  Indies. 

It  was  on  this  day  that  the  first  lives  were  lost  on  the  American 
side.     The  gunboat  Wilmington,  the  torpedo-boat  Winslow,  and  the    u  T1?e 
auxiliary  gunboat  Hudson  were  attacked  in  Cardenas  Bay  by  Span-       low " 
ish  gunboats  and  batteries.     They  shelled  the  town  and  withdrew,      Affair 
Ensign  Bagley  and  four  of  the  crew  of  the  Winslow  being  killed. 

Ensign  Worth  Bagley,  the  executive  officer  of  the  Winslow,  was 
born  in  North  Carolina  in  1874,  and  xvas  graduated  from  the  Naval 
Academy  in  June,  r895.  Brief  as  was  his  service,  he  proved  his 
daring,  coolness,  and  judgment.  He  was  a  great  athlete,  filling  the 
position  of  full -back' on  the  football  team.  Lieutenant  Bernadou 
was  commander  of  the  Winslow,  in  the  lamentable  occurrence 
mentioned. 


1884 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 


General  instructions  had  been  issued  to  the  American  warships  not 
to  fire  upon  Spanish  forts  unless  first  attacked,  it  being  desired  to 
preserve  our  great  fighting  machines  uninjured  for  the  expected  naval 
battle.     Our  blockading  squadron  longed  for  a  chance  to  exchange 
shots  with  some  of  the  batteries  on  shore,  but  did  not  often  gain 
the  opportunity.     At  daylight,  May  1 3,  the  American  squadron  ap 
peared  outside  the  harbor  of  San  Juan,  the  capital  of  Porto  Rico, 
bardment  when  the  Morro  Castle,  the  fort  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  fired 
of  San    a  shot  at  the  flagship  Iowa.     A  fight  at  once  opened,  the  Indiana, 
Amphitrite,  and  Terror  joining  the  New  York  in  the  attack.     The 


FIQHT  OF  THE      WINSLOW" -DEATH  OF  ENSIGN   BAQLEY 

marksmanship  of  the  Americans  was  excellent ;  but  some  of  the  shells 
passed  over  the  fort  into  the  city,  did  great  damage,  and  inflicted 
considerable  loss  of  life.  In  a  short  time  the  fortifications  were 
battered  into  ruins.  The  aim  of  the  Spaniards  was  so  poor  that 
among  the  Americans  there  were  only  two  killed  and  six  wounded, 
while  the  squadron  itself  suffered  no  injury.. 

Meanwhile,  our  fleet  was  assiduously  hunting  that  of  the  enemy, 
and  it  was  difficult  to  follow  the  movements  of  either.  Comm^  ore 
Schley  sailed  under  secret  orders  on  the  1 3th  of  May  from  Hampton 
Roads,  the  Spanish  fleet  being  reported  the  next  day  at  Curasao,  off 


i886  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 

»  . 

PERIOD     the   Venezuelan    coast,   with    Admiral    Sampson    off    Puerto    Plata, 
Haiti. 

OUR 

^x°pLA°NNsioN        The  next  report  of  the  hostile  squadron  was  ,that  it  had  reached 
l898       Santiago  de  Cuba.     Then  came  the  news,  hardly  credited  at  first, 
that  it  had  entered  that  harbor,  where  it  was  bottled  up  by  the  Amer 
ican  fleet.     On  the  29th,  five  days  later,  Commodore  Schley  reported 
Cer-      having  seen  some  of  the  Spanish  ships  in  the  harbor,  and  the  news 
Fitet  at    was  soon  confirmed.     The  dreaded  fleet  that  had  caused  so  much 
Santiago  aiarm  along  Our  coast  was  in  the  harbor  of  Santiago,  and,  so  long  as 
it  could  be  held  there,  was  powerless  to  inflict  harm. 

The  fear  was  that  on  some  dark  night,  or  during  a  violent  storm 
when  our  own  ships  were  compelled  to  keep  farther  than  usual  from 
shore,  the  fleet  would  make  a  sudden  dash  and  escape.  It  consisted 
of  the  four  armored  cruisers  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  Vizcaya,  Almi- 
rante  Oquendo,  and  Cristobal  Colon,  and  the  torpedo-boat  destroyers 
Pluton  and  Furor.  All  belonged  to  the  best  types  of  their  class,  the 
cruisers  being  of  7,000  tons  displacement,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Cristobal  Colon,  which  was  slightly  less.  Every  one  had  a  speed  of 
20  knots,  and  the  four  carried  130  guns  and  28  torpedo-tubes. 

The  probability  of  the  Spanish  fleet  slipping  out  and  escaping 
caused  Admiral  Sampson  much  concern ;  but  there  seemed  to  be  no 
way  of  removing  the  danger,  until  Naval  Constructor  Richmond 
Pearson  Hobson  asked  an  audience  with  the  Admiral.  Hobson  is  a 
native  of  Alabama,  twenty- seven  years  old  at  that  time,  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Naval  Academy  in  1889,  and  later  studied  naval 
construction  abroad. 

The  young  man  lost  no  time  in  laying  before  the  Admiral  his 
plan  for  locking  in  the  enemy's  fleet,  so  that  only  one  or  two  Ameri 
can  ships  need  remain  on  guard,  leaving  the  rest  free  to  do  duty 
.         elsewhere.      His  scheme  was  to  select  a  crew  just  sufficient  to  navi- 
Daring    gate  the  collier  Merrimac,  strip  the  old  craft  of  everything  of  value, 
!    and  then,  shielded  by  the  darkness,  run  her  into  the  narrowest  part 
.   of  the  channel  and  sink  her.     As  she  went  down,  the  crew  were  to 
jump  overboard,  to  be  picked  up,   if  possible,  by  the  torpedo-boat 
Porter,  or  by  the  steam  launch  of  the  New  York,  which  was  to  run 
in  as  closely  as  it  dared  for  that  purpose,  the  craft  being  covered  by 
the  fleet  outside. 

Lieutenant  Hobson,  like  the  brave  man  he  is,  offered  to  lead  the 
expedition,  and  his  words  were  so  persuasive  that  the  consent  of  the 


Copyright  l&)8,  by  Vander  Weyde 

LIEUTENANT  RICHMOND  PEARSON  HOBSON 


i888  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 

PERIOD  Admiral  was  won.  Wednesday  night,  June  I,  was  selected  for  the 
venture.  That  afternoon  the  New  York  signalled  to  the  ships  of  the 
squadron : 

"  An  attempt  will  be  made  to-night  to  sink  the  collier  Merrimac 
at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor.  One  man,  a  volunteer,  is  requested 
from  each  ship." 

Prepara-       That   nothing  in  all  the  world  is  so  attractive  to  an  American 
for  the     as  a  perilous  duty  was  proven  by  what  immediately  followed.     Al- 
Attempt   Chough  the  chances  were  overwhelmingly  against  a  single  man  com 
ing  olit  of  the  venture  alive,  it  may  be  said  that  all  the  companies  of 
all  the  ships  volunteered  for  the  dangerous  work,  and  many  vehe 
mently  clamored  for  the  privilege.     On  the  Brooklyn  alone,  1 50  of  the 
crew  begged  to  be  accepted  as  volunteers,  and  about  the  same  num 
ber  on  the  Texas  were  equally   persistent.    The  difficulty  was  in  the 
selection  of  the  small 'crew  required;  and  when  effected  it  was  as 
follows : 

Lieutenant  Hobson  ;  Gunner's  Mate  Philip  O' Boyle,  of  the  Texas ; 
Gun  Captain  Mill,  of  the  New  Orleans ;  Seaman  Anderson,  of  the 
Massachusetts,  and  Seaman  Wade-,  of  the  Vixen. 

Coal  was  removed  from,  the  Merrimac  until  only  enough  for  bal 
last  remained  in  her  hold ;  and  the  sogg}  craft  was  taken  to  a  point 
20  miles  east  of  Santiago,  where  the  work  of  stripping  her  was  begun. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  the  Vixen  called  on  each  ship  and  took  off  its 
volunteer,  and  placed  them  on  board  the  flagship  New  York.  The 
squadron  moved  close  to  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  and  no  one 
doubted  that  in  a  few  hours  the  attempt  would  be  made.  There  was 
so  much  work,  however,  to  be  done  on  the  Merrimac  that  the  prep 
arations  could  not  be  completed  in  time,  and  the  night  of  June  3 
was  fixed  upon  for  the  attempt. 

Now  came  the  keenest  of  all  disappointments  to  the  volunteers. 
It  was  a  wise,  but  none  the  less  a  hard  decision  that  these  heroes 
.  K         had  been  held  on  edge  so  long  that  their  nerves  must  have  felt  the 
Disap-    strain,  and  that  possibly  they  were  unfitted  for  the  duty  in  which 
ment"     coolness  and  complete  self-possession  were  indispensable.     Accord 
ingly  the  originals,  denouncing  their  bad  luck,  were  returned  to  their 
respective  ships,  and  a  new  selection  was  made : 

Lieut.  RICHMOND  PEARSON  HOBSON,  Assistant  Naval  Constructor. 

OSBORN  DEIGNAN,  a  coxswain  of  the  Merrimac. 

GEORGE  F.  PHILLIPS,  a  machinist  of  the  Merrimac. 


CHAF.   C 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1889 


JOHN  KELLY,  a  water-tender  of  the  Merrimac. 

GEORGE  CHARETTE,  a  gunner's  mate  of  the  flagship  New  York. 

DANIEL  MONTAGUE,  a  seaman  of  the  cruiser  Brooklyn. 

J.  C.  MURPHY,  a  coxswain  of  the  Iowa. 

RANDOLPH  CLAUSEN,  a  coxswain  of  the  New  York. 

Clausen  was  not  one  of  the  men  selected  for  duty.  He  was  at 
work  on  the  Merrimac,  when  all  except  the  seven  volunteers  were 
ordered  to  leave  and  go  aboard  the  flagship.  He  refused  to  go,  and 
thus  secured  a  place  for  his  name  on  the  roll  of  fame. 

As  the  afternoon  was  drawing  to  a  close,  the  fleet  assumed  a  new 
formation,  ordered  by  Admiral  Sampson,  which,  beginning  westward, 
was :  Vixen,  Brooklyn,  MarbleJiead,  Texas,  Massachusetts,  Oregon, 
Iowa,  New  York,  New  Orleans,  and  Mayflower.  Outside  of  this 
circle  were  the  colliers,  cable,  and  supply  boats,  with  the  Dolphin 
and  Porter  acting  as  despatch-boats. 

The  night  was  calm  and  soft,  with  the  full  moon  shining  upon  the 
unruffled  sea  and  clothing  the  grim  mountains  in  fleecy  silver.  Far 
away  on  the  hillsides  gleamed  the  lights  of  the  villages  around  San 
tiago,  and  the  single  searchlight  of  the  Morro  lighthouse  sent  its 
glowing  fan  out  upon  the  waters.  But  on  the  decks  of  the  massive 
warships  everything  wore  an  appearance  of  expectancy.  The  men 
lay  on  the  decks,  with  their  guns  and  small  arms  at  their  sides,  tak 
ing  turns  in  sleeping  two  hours  at  a  time. 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock,  with  the  moon  partly  obscured, 
the  crew  of  the  Merrimac  was  sent  aboard  the  Texas,  and  the  eight 
who  remained  steamed  toward  the  western  shore  of  the  harbor  en 
trance,  with  the  launch  of  the  New  York  closely  following  in  com 
mand  of  Naval  Cadet  Joseph  Wright  Powell,  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  with 
four  men — Coxswain  Peterson,  Fireman  Horsman,  Engineer  Nelson, 
and  Seaman  Peterson,  the  launch  halting  and  lying  close  to  the  west 
ern  shore. 

The  crews  of  the  American  warships,  who  were  peering  with 
breathless  interest  into  the  gloom,  saw  the  flash  of  a  single  gun  on 
Morro  Castle,  though  the  report  could  not  be  heard.  A  few  min 
utes  later  the  shore  broke'  into  sheets  of  flame,  and  it  looked  as  if 
every  gun  in  the  batteries  had  been  turned  upon  the  Merrimac. 
The  cumbersome  craft,  330  feet  in  length,  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed 
life,  for,  apparently  uninjured,  she  moved  straight  ahead  to  the  nar 
rowest  part  of  the  channel,  which  was  about  400  feet  wide. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


The 
Heroes 


A 

Stirring 
Scene 


COPYRIGHT  1896. 


THE  MERRIMAC  VOLUNTEERS 

FROM    THE   ORIGINAL   DRAWING   BY   J.   STEEPLE    DAVIS 


CHAP,  c  McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1891 

In  order  to  complete  our  account  of  this  remarkable  exploit,  we      PERIOD 
give  in  this  place  the  story  told  by  Lieutenant  Hobson  himself,  after       — 
his  exchange  and  return  to  his  friends.      His  narrative  is  absorbingly   ^f™*^ 
interesting :  I898 

"  It  was  dark  when  we  started  in  toward  the  strait,"  said  Lieuten 
ant  Hobson,  "  and  it  was  darker  when  we  got  the  ship  into  position. 
We  all  knew  that  we  were  taking  desperate  chances,  and  in  order  to 

be  unencumbered  when  we  got  into  the  water  we  stripped  down  to    Lieuten 
ant  Hob- 
our  underclothing.     The  ship  gave  a  heave  when  the*  charges  ex-      son's 

ploded,  and  as  she  sank  with  a  lurch  at  the  bow  we  got  over  her        c 
sides.      That  we  got  into  the  water  is  nearly  all  we  know  of  what 
happened  in  that  rather  brief  period.     Some  sprang  over  the  ship's 
sides,  but  more  than  one  of  us  was  thrown  over  the  rail  by  the  shock 
and  the  lurching  of  the  ship. 

"  It  was  our  plan  to  escape  on  a  catamaran  float  which  lay  on  the 
roof  of  the  midship-house.  One  of  the  greatest  dangers  of  the  thing 
was  that  of  being  caught  in  the  suction  made  by  the  ship  as  she 
went  down ;  so  we  tied  the  float  to  the  taff rail,  giving  it  slack  line^ 
enough,  as  we  thought,  to  let  it  float  loose  after  the  ship  had  settled 
into  her  resting-place.  L  swam  away  from  the  ship  as  soon  as  I 
struck  the  water,  but  I  could  feel  the  eddies  drawing  me  backwards 
in  spite  of  all  I  could  do.  That  did  not  last  very  long,  however, 
and  as  soon  as  I  felt  the  tugging  ease  I  turned  and  struck  out  for 
the  float,  which  I  could  see  dimly  bobbing  up  and  down  over  the 
sunken  hull. 

"  The  Merrimac  s  masts  were  plainly  visible,  and  I  could  see  the 
heads  of  my  seven  men  as  they  followed  my  example  and  made  for 
the  float  also.  We  had  expected,  of  course,  that  the  Spaniards  would 
investigate  the  wreck,  but  we  had  no  idea  that  they  would  be  at  it  as 
quickly  as  they  were.  Before  we  could  get  to  the  float  several  row- 
boats  and  launches  came  around  the  bluff  from  inside  the  harbor. 

In 
They  had  officers  on  board  and  armed  marines  as  well,  and  they     Hiding 

searched  that  passage,  rowing  backward  and  forward,  until  the  next 
morning.  It  was  only  by  good  luck  that  we  got  to  the  float  at  all, 
for  they  were  upon  us  so  quickly  that  we  had  barely  concealed  our 
selves  when  a  boat  with  quite  a  large  party  on  board  was  right  be 
side  us. 

"  Unfortunately,  we  thought  then,  but  it  turned  out  afterward 
that  nothing  more  fortunate  than  that  could  have  happened  to  us,  the 


CHAP,  c 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1893 


rope  with  which  we  had  secured  the  float  to  the  ship  was  too  short 
to  allow  it  to  swing  free,  and  when  we  reached  it  we  found  that  one 
of  the  pontoons  was  entirely  out  of  the  water  and  the  other  one  was 
submerged.  Had  the  raft  lain  flat  on  the  water  we  could  not  have 
got  under  it,  and  would  have  had  to  climb  up  on  it,  to  be  an  excellent 
target  for  the  first  party  of  marines  that  arrived.  As  it  was,  we 
could  get  under  the  raft,  and  by  putting  our  hands  through  the 


SANTIAGO  FROM  THE  HARBOR 

crevices  between  the  slats  which  formed  its  deck  we  could  hald  our 
heads  out  of  water  and  still  be  unseen.      That  is  what  we  did;  and- 
all  night  long  we  stayed  there  with  our  noses  and  mouths  barely  out 
of  water. 

"  None  of  us  expected  to  get  out  of  the  affair  alive,  but  luckily 
the  Spaniards  did  not  think  of  the  apparently  damaged,  half-sunken 
raft  floating  about  beside  the  wreck.  They  came  to  within  a  cable's 
length  of  -us  at  intervals  of  only  a  few  minutes  all  night.  We  could 
hear  their  words  distinctly,  and  even  in  the  darkness  could  distin 
guish  an  occasional  glint  of  light  on  the  rifle-barrels  of  the  marines 
and  on  the  lace  of  the  officers'  uniforms.  We  were  afraid  to  speak 


PERIOD 

VIII 


OUR 


l898 


. 
Dismal 

tion" 


1894 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR. 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Enemies 
at  Hand 


Almost 
Discov 
ered 


above  a  whisper,  and  for  a  good  while — in  fact,  whenever  they  were 
near  us — we  breathed  as  easily  as  we  could.  I  ordered  my  men  not 
to  speak  unless  to  address  me,  and  with  one  exception  they  obeyed. 

"  After  we  had  been  there  an  hour  or  two,  the  water,  which  we 
found  rather  warm  at  first,  began  to  get  cold,  and  my  fingers  ached 
where  the  wood  was  pressing  into  them.  The  clouds,  which  were 
running  before  a  pretty  stiff  breeze  when  we  went  in,  blew  over,  and 
then  by  the  starlight  we  could  see  the  boats  when  they  came  out  of 
the  shadows  of  the  cliffs  on  either  side ;  and  even  when  we  could  not 
see  them  we  knew  that  they  were  still  near,  because  we  could  hear 
very  plainly  the  splash  of  the  oars  and  the  grinding  of  the  oar 
locks.  - 

"  Our  teeth  began  to  chatter  before  very  long,  and  I  was  in  con 
stant  fear  that  the  Spaniards  would  hear  us  when  they  came  close. 
It  was  so  still  then  that  the  chattering  sound  seemed  to  us  as  loud 
as  a  hammer ;  but  the  Spaniards'  ears  were  not  sharp  enough  to  hear 
it.  We  could  hear  sounds  from  the  shore  almost  as  distinctly  as  if 
we  had  been  there,  we  were  so  close  to  the  surface  of  the  water, 
which  is  an  excellent  conductoV,  and  the  voices  of  the  men  in  the 
boats  sounded  as  clear  as  a  bell.  My  men  tried  to  keep  their  teeth 
still,  but  it  was  hard  work,  and  not  attended  with  any  great  success 
at  the  best. 

"  We  all  knew  that  we  would  be  shot  if  discovered  by  an  ordinary 
seaman  or  a  marine,  and  I  ordered  my  men  not  to  stir,  as  the  boats 
having  officers  on  board  kept  well  in  the  distance.  One  of  my  men 
disobeyed  my  orders,  and  started  to  swim  ashore,  and  I  had  to  call 
him  back.  He  obeyed  at  once,  but  my  voice  seemed  to  create  some 
commotion  among  the  boats,  and  several  of  them  appeared  close 
beside  us  before  the  disturbance  in  the  water  made  by  the  man  swim 
ming  had  disappeared.  We  thought  it  was  all  up  with  us  then ;  but 
the  boats  went  away  into  the  shadows  again. 

"  There  was  much  speculating  among  the  Spaniards  as  to  what 
the  ship  was  and  what  we  intended  to  do  next.  I  could  understand 
many  of  the  words,  and  gathered  from  what  I  heard  that  the  officers 
had  taken  in  the  situation  at  once,  but  were  astounded  at  the  audac 
ity  of  the  thing.  The  boats,  I  also  learned,  were  from  the  fleet,  and 
I  felt  better,  because  I  had  more  faith  in  a  Spanish  sailor  than  I  had 
in  a  Spanish  soldier. 

"  When  daylight  came  a  steam  launch  full  of  officers  and  marines 


CHAP,  c  McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1895 

came  out  from  behind  the  cliff  that  hid  the  fleet  and  harbor,  and      PERIOD 

VIII 

advanced  toward  us.     All  the  men  on  board  were  looking  curiously       — 
in  our  direction.     They  did  not  see  us.     Knowing  that  some  one  of    ^°f^ioit 
rank  must  be  on  board,  I  waited  until  the  launch  was  quite  close  and       l898 
hailed  her 

'"'  My  voice  produced  the  utmost  consternation  on  board.  Every 
one  sprang  up,  the  marines  crowded  to  the  bow,  and  the  launch's 
engines  were  reversed.  She  not  only  stopped,  but  she  backed  off 
until  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  where  she  stayed.  The  marines 
stood  ready  to  fire  at  the  wor-d  of  command,  when  we  clambered  out 
from  under  the  float.  There  were  ten  of  the  marines,  and  they 
would  have  fired  in  a  minute  had  they  not  been  restrained. 

"  I  swam  toward  the  launch,  and  then  she  started  toward  me.     I 
called  out  in  Spanish  :  'Is  there  an  officer  on  board?'    An  officer  an 
swered  in  the  affirmative;  and  then  I  shouted  in  Spanish  again:  'I  The  Sur- 
have  seven  men  to  surrender.'     I  continued  swimming,  and  when  I     reQder 
reached  the  side  of  the  launch  I  was  seized  and  pulled  out  of  the 
water. 

"  As  I  looked  up  when  they  were  dragging  me  into  the  launch,  I 
saw  that  it  was  Admiral  Cervera  himself  who  had  hold  of  me.  He 
looked  at  me  rather  dubiously  at  first,  because  I  had  been  down  in 
the  engine-room  of  the  Merrimac,  where  I  got  covered  with  oil,  and 
that  with  the  soot  and  coal-dust  made  my  appearance  most  disrepu-  A 
table.  I  had  put  on  my  officer's  belt  before  sinking  the  Merrimac,  rous  Foe 
as  a  means  of  identification  no  matter  what  happened  to  me,  and 
when  I  pointed  to  it  in  the  launch  the  Admiral  understood  and  seemed 
satisfied.  The  first  words  he  said  to  me  when  he  learned  who  I  was 
were  *  Bienvenido  sea  listed,'  which  means,  fYou  are  welcome.' 
My  treatment  by  the  naval  officers,  and  that  of  my  men  also,  was 
courteous  all  the  time  that  I  was  a  prisoner.  They  heard  my  story, 
as  much  of  it  as  I  could  tell,  but  sought  to  learn  nothing  more. 

"  My  men  were  rescued  from  the  float,  and  we  were  taken  to  the 
shore,  and  we  were  all  placed  in  a  cell  in  Morro  Castle.  I  asked  per 
mission  to  send  a  note  to  Admiral  Sampson,  and  wrote  it ;  but  when 
Admiral  Cervera  learned  of  it  he  came  to  me  and  said  that  General 
Linares  would  not  permit  me  to  send  it.  The  Admiral  seemed 
greatly  worried ;  but  it  was  not  until  a  day  or  two  later  that  I  learned 
what  was  on  his  mind.  That  same  day  he  said  he  would  send  a  boat 
to  the  fleet  to  get  clothes  for  us,  and  that  the  men  who  went  in  the 


1896 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  c 


PERIOD 
VIII 


boat  could  tell  Admiral  Sampson  that  we  were  safe.     I  learned  later 
- —       that  General  Linares  was  inclined  to  be  ugly,  and  that  Admiral  Cer- 

OUR  °    J 

EXPANSION   vera  wished  to  get  word  to  our  fleet  as  soon  as  possible  that  we  were 
l898       safe,  knowing  that  then  General   Linares  would  learn  that  the  fleet 
knew  it,  and  he  would  not  dare  to  harm  us. 

"  When  we  were  first  placed  in  Morro  the  solid  doors  to  our  cells 
were  kept  closed  for  an  hour  or  two;  but  when  we  objected  to  that 


Confined 
in  Morro 


SANTIAGO    FROM    THE    HILLS    BACK    OF    THE   CITY 

the  Admiral  ordered  that  they  be  thrown  open.  Then  we  had  a  view 
of  Santiago  harbor,  the  city,  and  the  Spanish  fleet.  All  of  the  offi 
cers  of  the  army  and  fleet  called  on  us  that  day,  and  their  treatment 
of  us  was  most  considerate  and  courteous.  General  Linares  did  not 
call,  but  sent  word  that,  as  all  the  others  had  called,  he  thought  that 
a  visit  from  him  was  not  included  in  his  duties.  I  do  not  know 
what  he  meant  by  that,  but  am  sure  that  we  do  not  owe  our  safety 
to  him. 

"  We  were  still  in  Morro  Castle  when  Admiral  Sampson's  fleet 
bombarded  Santiago.  The  windows  in  the  side  of  our  cell  opened 
west  across  the  harbor  entrance,  and  we  could  hear  and  see  the  shells 
as  they  struck.  We  knew  that  we  would  not  be  fired  upon,  as  word 
had  gone  out  as  to  where  we  were,  so  we  sat  at  the  windows  and 


CHAP,  c  McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1897 

watched  the  shells.      Each  one  sung  a  different  tune  as  it  went  by.      PERIOD 
The  smaller  shells  moaned  or  screeched  as  they  passed,  but  the  thir- 
teen-inch  shells  left  a  sound  behind  them  like  that  of  the  sudden  and    ^^i^ 
continued  smashing  of  a  huge  pane  of  glass.      The  crackling  was  sharp       l898 
and  metallic,  something  like  sharp  thunder  without  the  roar,  and  the 
sound  continued,  but  decreased  after  the  shell  had  gone.      In  many 
cases  the  shells  struck  projecting  points  of  rock,  and,  ricochetting,       Grim 
spun  end  over  end  across  the  hills.     The  sound  they  made  as  they 
struck  again  and  again  was  like  the  short,  sharp  puffs  of  a  locomo 
tive  starting  with  a  heavy  train. 

"  We  were  in  Morro  Castle  four  days,  and  only  once  did  I  feel 
alarmed.  The  day  before  we  were  taken  into  the  city  of  Santiago  I 
saw  a  small  boat  start  from  the  harbor  with  a  flag  of  truce  up. 
When  I  asked  one  of  the  sentries  what  it  meant,  I  was  told  that  the 
boat  had  gone  out  to  tell  our  fleet  that  my  men  and  I  had  already 
been  taken  into  the  city.  Then  I  feared  that  Morro  would  be  bom 
barded  at  once,  and  believed  it  to  be  a  scheme  got  up  by  General 
Linares  to  end  us.  We  were  taken  to  the  city  the  next  day,  and 
were  safe  anyway  then. 

"  In  the  city  we  were  treated  with  the  same  consideration  by  the 
naval  officers  and  the  army  officers,  with  the  exception  of  General 
Linares,  which  we  got  on  t*he  day  of  our  capture.  I  believe  that  we 
owe  to  Admiral  Cervera  our  exchange,  and  a  great  deal  more  in  the 
way  of  good  treatment  that  we  would  not  otherwise  have  received. 
General  Linares  had  no  good  blood  for  us,  nor  did  the  soldiers  and 
marines,  who  would  have  shot  us  on  sight  the  night  that  we  went 
into  the  harbor. 

"  We  did  not  have  time  to  think  of  sharks.  We  saw  a  great 
many  things,  though,  and  went  through  a  great  many  experiences. 
When  we  started  out  from  the  fleet  I  tied  to  my  belt  a  flask  of  medi 
cated  water,  supplied  to  me  by  my  ship's  surgeon.  The  frequency 
with  which  we  all  felt  thirsty  on  the  short  run  into  the  passage,  and  Not 
the  dryness  of  my  mouth  and  lips,  made  me  believe  that  I  was  fright- 
ened.  The  men  felt  the  same,  and  all  the  way  the  flask  went  from 
hand  to  hand.  Once  I  felt  my  pulse  to  see  if  I  was  frightened,  but 
to  my  surprise  I  found  it  normal.  Later  we  forgot  all  about  it ;  and 
when  we  got  into  the  water  there  was  no  need  for  the  flask. " 

Admiral  Cervera  was  stirred  to  admiration  by  the  daring  of  Hob- 
son  and  his  companions,  and  lost  no  time  in  sending  a  flag  of  truce 

172 


1898  HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 

PERIOD     to  Admiral  Sampson  with  the  news  that  the  men  were  safe  in  his 

custody,  and  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  exchange  them  for  an  equiv- 

EXPLANSION   alent  number  of  Spanish  prisoners.      Certain  technicalities,  however, 

1898       intervened — apparently  due   to    the    Spaniards'   inveterate    love   of 

red  tape — and  more  than  a  month  elapsed  before  the  exchange  was 

effected. 

The  Ex-         The  exploit  of  Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his  comrades  thrilled  the 
change  i 

country.      President   McKinley  would  have  nominated  them  all  at 

once  for  promotion,  but  decided  to  wait  until  he  could  learn  the 
wishes  of  the  young  officer,  who,  it  was  suggested,  might  prefer  the 
line  to  the  engineer  service.  On  June  27  he  sent  messages  asking 
the  thanks  of  Congress  for  Lieutenant  Hobson,  and  that  he  be  trans 
ferred  to  the  line;  recommending  thanks  for  Lieutenant  F.  H.  New- 
comb  and  the  men  of  the  revenue-cutter  Hudson,  and  nominating 
Cadet  Joseph  W.  Powell  for  advancement  two  numbers.  The  rec 
ommendations  were  immediately  adopted,  and  on  the  2Qth  the  Sen 
ate  thanked  Hobson  and  his  crew,  naming  every  man,  an  unprece 
dented  honor. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  feats  of  the  war  was  the  run  of  the 
battleship  Oregon  from  San  Francisco  on  its  way  to  join  Admiral 
Sampson  in  the  West  Indies.  It  was  felt  that  the  services  of  this 
magnificent  vessel  were  needed  in  the  Atlantic,  and  that  she  should 
reach  our  Eastern  coast  at  the  earliest  possible  hour.  She  left  San 
Francisco,  March  19,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Charles  E. 
Clark,  and  made  her  first  stop  at  Callao,  Peru,  where  she  was  joined 
by  the  gunboat  Marietta,  and  then  coaled,  and  steamed  to  Punta 
Arenas,  at  the  eastern  entrance  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  The  two 
passed  through  the  Straits,  and  northward  along  the  eastern  coast  to 
A  Rio  Janeiro,  which  was  reached  on  April  30.  At  this  port  Captain 
Remark-  Clark  learned  that  war  had  begun  between  the  United  States  and 
Run  Spain.  Here  the  two  vessels  were  joined  by  the  cruiser  Buffalo, 
formerly  the  Brazilian  Nictheroy.  Then  came  a  situation  which 
deeply  stirred  the  country.  The  nearer  the  Oregon  drew  to  the  West 
Indies,  the  nearer  she  approached  the  Spanish  Cape  Verde  fleet,  which 
many  believed  was  lying  in  wait  for  her.  Compelled  to  depend  upon 
herself  alone,  it  seemed  hardly  possible  that,  with  all  the  courage  and 
skill  of  her  officers  and  crew,  she  could  withstand  the  attack  of  the 
enemy,  whose  re.  1  power  had  been  magnified  by  rumor.  It  would 
be  a  severe  blow  if  the  enemy  could  sink  or  capture  her,  and 


1900  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  c 


PERIOD      many  were  convinced   that   such  was   to   be   the  end  of  the  daring 
venture. 

OUR 

EXPANS'ION  The  Navy  Department  thought  that  if  the  Spanish  squadron  was 
1898  after  the  Oregon  and  the  Marietta  it  would  attack  them  between  Para 
and  Cape  St.  Roque,  Brazil,  the  nearest  point  from  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands,  from  which  the  fleet  sailed  on  April  29.  The  last  stopping- 
place  of  the  Oregon  was  Bahia,  Brazil,  whence  she  was  to  make  no  halt 
until  she  had  crossed  the  zone  of  danger. 

The  observer  at  Jupiter  Inlet,  on  the  Florida  coast,  opposite  the 
Bahamas,  sighted  the  Oregon  on  the  morning  of  May  24,  and  that 
evening  she  came  to  anchor  off  the  inlet,  and  lost  no  time  in  joining 
Admiral  Sampson's  fleet. 

The  journey  of  the  Oregon  was  14,  1  33  nautical  miles,  and  was  made 

in  sixty-eight  days.     Her  run  from  San  Francisco  to  Callao  has-  never 

End  of    been  equalled  ;  and  two  records  that  surpass  those  made  by  any  other 

~ke        battleship  are  her  run  of  2,484  knots  at  an  average  speed  of  1  3  knots 

an  hour,  and  one  of   155,  knots  in  ten  hours.     At  the  end  of  this 

wonderful  voyage  her  engines  were  in  perfect  order.     Captain  Clark 

declared  that  he  would  have  been  glad  to  meet  Admiral  Cervera;  and 

in  the  light  of  subsequent  events  the  failure  of  such  a  meeting  was 

a  piece  of  providential  good  fortune  wholly  on  the  side  of  the  Spanish 

commander.* 

*  The  following  record  of  this  unprecedented  run  is  taken  from  the  log  of  the 
Oregon  :  she  left  San  Francisco,  March  19  ;  arrived  at  Callao,  April  4  ;  left  Callao, 
April  8;  arrived  at  Sandy  Point,  April  17  ;  left  Sandy  Point,  April  21  ;  reached  Rio 
Janeiro,  April  30  ;  left  Rio  Janeiro,  May  4  ;  arrived  at  Bahia,  May  8  ;  left  Bahia,  May 
9  ;  arrived  at  Barbadoes,  May  18  ;  arrived  at  Jupiter  Inlet,  May  24;  arrrived  at  Key 
West,  May  26.  The  actual  steaming  distance  was  14,133  nautical  miles,  which  was 
accomplished  in  sixty-eight  days.  • 


jZVm.erica.tu      (Tr  atvssp  ort 


CHAPTER    CI 

McKINLE  Y '  5   FIRS  T  A D MINIS  TRA  TION—  1 837- 1 90 1 
(CONTINUED} 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  (Continued) 

On  Cuban  Soil ;  Annexation  of  Hawaii 

{Authorities :  The  Contemporary  Review  for  June,  1898,  contains  a  remarkable 
article,  written  by  Dr.  E.  J.  Dillon,  and  entitled  "  The  Ruin  of  Spain."  It  is  forceful, 
learned,  and  forms  a  strikingly  vivid  picture  of  the  hopeless  decay  of  a  country  that  once 
terrified  the  nations  of  the  world,  and  pushed  its  conquests  into  all  seas  and  climes.  In 
the  period  of  its  greatness,  the  university  of  Salamanca  alone  contained  more  students 
than  the  entire  city  has  inhabitants  to-day.  The  main  cause  of  Spain's  collapse  is  the 
lack  of  instruction  among  the  people.  Out  of  18,000,000,  Dr.  Dillon  says,  the  illiterates 
exceed  16,000,000.  The  graduates  of  the  universities  learn  nothing  but  oratory  ;  among 
her  statesmen  is  not  a  single  one  entitled  to  rank  in  the  first  or  second  class.  Knowing 
the  overpowering  strength  of  the  United  States,  and  seeing  the  approach  of  war,  her 
rulers  thronged  the  bull- fights  and  declared  there  would  be  no  war,  because  their  faith  in 
miracles  is  unshakable.  As  the  Spanish  writer  Martos  said  :  "  We  belong  to  that  im 
pressible  Latin  race  which  groaned  under  the  lash  of  Nero  'he  tyrant,  and  applauded  and 
crowned  with  roses  Nero  the  artist."  When  Dr.  Dillon  demonstrates  that  the  one  and 
only  Spaniard  who  was  competent  to  crush  the  Cuban  rebellion  was  Weyler,  he  shows  in 
language  that  cannot  be  made  more  impressive  the  utter  and  absolute  ruin  of  Spain.] 


Oorto  Cacti 

antiag 
de&ib 


INCE  war  had  been  declared  between  Spain  and 
the  United  States,  the  first  natural  step  seemed 
to  be  the  invasion  of  Cuba,  with  the  object  of  ex 
pelling  the  Spaniards.  There  was  some  impa 
tience  expressed  over  the  delays,  since  it  was  cer 
tain  that  the  garrisons  of  Havana,  Santiago,  Ma- 
tanzas,  and  other  prominent  cities  were  working 
incessantly  to  erect  formidable  defences,  and  every  week  and  day 
added  to  their  strength.  The  slowness,  however,  was  unavoidable, 
and  was  due  to  several  causes. 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


Two 
*    Old 
Confed 
erates 


In  the  first  place,  it  is  an  immense  task  to  arm  and  equip  twenty 
thousand  men ;  and  the  first  call  of  the  President  was  for  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty-five  thousand.  A  civilian  can  hardly  comprehend 
the  enormous  amount  of  detail  involved  and  the  time  necessary  to 
approach  even  a  semblance  of  thoroughness.  Again,  the  men  re- 


The 

Immense 
Task 


THE        PANAMA"    CAPTURED    BY    THE       ST.   PAUL1 


quired  drilling,  for  of  necessity  they  were  to  be  pitted  against  Span 
ish  regulars,  who  were  accustomed,  to  guerrilla  and  bush  fighting, 
were  good  marksmen,  and  numbered  many  thousands.  The  dreaded 
rainy  season  was  at  hand,  and  many  of  our  military  authorities  were 
strongly  in  favor  of  deferring  the  invasion  until  the  cool,  healthful 
weather  of  autumn.  Moreover,  as  already  intimated,  the  Spanish 
fleet  was  a  factor  that  caused  much  uneasiness  in  the  early  weeks  of 
the  war.  It  was  generally  believed  to  be  prowling  somewhere  among 
the  West  Indies ;  and  if  it  should  pounce  upon  our  transports,  loaded 
with  soldiers,  it  might  work  terrific  destruction,  even  though  the 
transports  were  convoyed  by  a  strong  naval  force.  Finally,  how 
ever,  the  conditions  became  favorable,  and  it  was  decided  to 
throw  a  powerful  body  of  troops  into  Cuba,  and  prosecute  the 
campaign  with  all  possible  vigor  and  without  regard  to  climatic 
conditions. 

On  May  6,  Major-General  Miles  issued  an  order  regarding  the 
organization  of  the  volunteer  army  in  combination  with  the  standing 
army  of  the  United  States.  It  constituted  seven  army  corps,  com 
prising  both  the  regular  and  volunteer  branches  of  the  army,  leaving 
the  several  headquarters  and  their  location,  as  well  as  the  generals 
appointed  to  command  them,  to  be  named  later.  On  the  same  day 
the  commissions  of  the  new  major-generals  were  signed,  and  two  of 


CHAP.  CI 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1903 


them,  Generals  Joseph  Wheeler  and  Fitzhugh  Lee,  who  had  fought 
against  the  Union  in  the  Civil  War,  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  in 
the  following  words : 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  bear  true  faith  and  allegiance 
to  the  United  States  of  America,  and  thkt  I  will  serve  them  honestly 
and  faithfully-  against  all  their  enemies  whomsoever,  and  that  I  will 
obey  the  orders  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  the  orders 
of  the  officer  appointed  over  me,  according  to  the  rules  and  articles 
of  war." 

A  noteworthy  fact  connected  with  the  swearing  in  of  Joseph 
Wheeler  is  that  he  was  the  first  ex-Confederate  officer  to  receive  a 
commission  in  the  United  States  army. 

An  organization  of  which  we  shall  have  more  to  tell  was  the 
regiment  of  mounted  rifles  under  the  leadership  of  Col.  Leonard 
Wood  and  Lieut.-Col.  Theodore  Roosevelt.  This  was  composed  of 
cowboys,  Western  rangers,  policemen  with  records  for  pluck  and 
daring,  and  a  number  of  "gilded  young  millionaires,"  who  were 
leaders  in  the  social  world;  but  every  one  of  them  was  full  to  the 


THE       YANKEE  " 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


The 
Rough 
Riders 


eyes  of  pluck,  eager  to  prove,  as  they  did  upon  the  first  opportunity, 
that  no  more  virile  or  braver  men  lived.  A  regiment  somewhat 
similar  in  make-up  was  also  organized  under  the  commanded:  Judge 
J.  L.  Torrey,  of  Wyoming,  the  recruits  for  both  hurrying  eagerly 
forward,  from  widely  separated  sections  of  the  country,  in  such 
numbers  that  all  could  not  be  accepted. 


1904 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD  The  war  spirit  was  everywhere.  The  response  to  the  President's 
call  was  fully  six  times  greater  than  was  needed ;  and  despite  the  se- 
^XPAONNSION  verity  °f  the  medical  examination,  recruits  were  accepted  by  the  hun- 
l8Q8  dreds  and  thousands,  and  they  included  the  best  blood  of  the  republic 
The  lessons  of  the  Civil  War  were  not  forgotten,  for  the  "  political 
generals"  remained  in  the  background ;  nor  were  distinctions  made 
in  favor  of  any  class  of  volunteers.  The  American  military  spirit 
was  more  aggressive  and  more  general  than  ever  before  in  the  history 
of  the  country,  and  proved  the  patriotism  and  the  inherent  manhood 
that  qualify  the  nation  to  go  forward  upon  the  larger  and  grander 
career  which  destiny  has  opened  Before  it. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  unanimity  of  sentiment  through 
out  the  United  States  in  support  of  a  war  that  was  waged  for  human 
ity.  Never  did  a  more  sacred  cause  call  for  the  consecration  of 
good  men,  and  never  did  such  a  call  receive  so  overwhelming  a 
response. 

There  was  one  impressive  fact  that,  as  already  stated,  quickly 
became  apparent :  our  war  with  Spain  made  perfect  the  reunion 
between  the  North  and  South.  Since  this  truth  has  also  been  men 
tioned,  it  should  be  recorded  that,  on  June  I,  the  House  by  a  unani- 
Pooular  mous  vote  Passed  the  bill  removing  the  political  disabilities  imposed 
War  by  the  Fourteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitution,  thus  destroying 
the  last  remaining  vestige  of  the  adverse  legislation  growing  out  of 
the  Civil  War. 

On  the  i  Qth  of  May,  it  was  reported  that  the  Spanish  Cape  Verde 
fleet  had  reached  Santiago ;  but  there  was  no  certainty  of  the  truth  of 
the  report.  Commodore  Schley's  fleet  had  arrived  at  Key  West  a 
short  time  previous,  the  expectation  being  that  it  was  about  to  sail 
on  a  secret  expedition.  On  the  24th  if  was  further  rumored  that  the 
Spanish  fleet  had  entered  Santiago  harbor,  where,  as  already  stated^ 
Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his  heroic  comrades  made  the  attempt  to  bottle 
it  up,  June  3,  by  sinking  the  collier  Merrimac  in  the  narrowest  part, 
of  the  channel.  Three  days  previous,  the  Santiago  forts  were  bom 
barded  by  Commodore  Schley  with  the  Massachusetts,  Iowa,  and  New 
Orleans.  Great  damage  was  inflicted,  but  it  was  not  of  a  decisive 
nature. 

Since  the  navy  of  necessity  took  the  most  prominent  part  in  the 
war,  it  is  important  to  know  more  about  it.  According  to  the  Offi 
cial  Register,  issued  July  I,  and  bearing  the  title  "  List  and  Stations 


CHAP.  CI 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1905 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


of  the  Commissioned  and  Warrant  Officers  of  the  Navy  of  the  'United 
States  and  the  Marine  Corps,"  the  active  list  of  the  navy  was  corn- 
posed  of  1,755  officers,  divided  into  781  line  officers,  including  65 
cadets  at  sea;  161  medical  officers,  in  pay  officers,  209  engineer 
officers,  including  2 1  cadets  at  sea ;  24  chaplains,  1 1  naval  profes 
sors,  37  constructors,  15  civil  engineers,  190  warrant  officers,  sail- 
makers,  and  mates,  and  216  cadets  at  the  Naval  Academy.  In  addi 
tion,  182  officers  on  the  _____ 

retired  list  were  employ 
ed  on  active  duty. 

After  the  opening  of 
the  war,  693  officers 
were  appointed  for  duty 
during  the  continuance 
of  hostilities,  including 
348  in  the  line,  48  in 
the  medical  corps,  38  in 
the  pay  corps,  and  34  in 
other  grades  and  branch 
es  of  the  service.  There 
were  24  second-lieuten 
ants  of  marines  appoint 
ed  for  service  during 
the  war.  Excluding  the 
marine  corps,  the  navy, 
therefore,  had  on  July  I, 
1898,  2,630  commission 
ed  and  warrant  officers 
and  naval  cadets  on  its 
roll  of  those  in  active 
service,  thus  forming  a  formidable  and  effective  army  on  the  sea. 

On  the  same  date,  the  regular  navy  was  composed  of  1 1  ships  of  Strength 
the  first  class,  18  of  the  second  class,  43  of  the  third  class,  6  of  the 
fourth  class,  35  torpedo-boats  building  and  authorized,  12  tugs,  6 
sailing-vessels,  5  receiving-ships,  12  unserviceable  vessels,  and  33 
vessels  of  all  rates  other  than  torpedo-boats  under  construction  and 
authorized.  The  auxiliary  navy  was  composed  of  36  cruisers  and 
yachts,  32  steamers  and  colliers,  25  tugs,  15  revenue-cutters,  4  light 
house-tenders,  and  2  Fish  Commission  steamers.  This  makes  295 


SIGNALLING    ON    A    WARSHIP 


1906  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 

PERIOD      regular  and   auxiliary  vessels,  excluding   battleships    building    and 
authorized  and  monitors  authorized.* 

OUR 

EXPANSION        ^n  *ne  ^as^-  °^  May,  Cuba  was  environed  by  seventy-seven  men- 

1898       of -war  armed  with  high-power  guns.     All  were  under  the  command 

of  Rear- Admiral  Sampson,  and  formed  the  most  powerful  fleet  ever 

assembled  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes.     The  line  of  battle  could 

be  augmented  to  seven  battleships  and  armored  cruisers,  four  of 

*  The  United  States  has  always  been  the  pioneer  among  nations  in  naval  warfare,  a 
fact  attested  by  the  large  number  of  military  and  naval  attaches  engaged  in  watching  out 
operations.  In  early  days  our  ships  were  built  of  wood,  with  coppered  bottoms,  and  car 
ried  large  supplies  of  water  and  provisions.  Repairs  were  made  on  board  *  no  necessity 
for  coaling  existed,  and  the  vessels  were  rarely  docked.  Nowadays,  a  host  of  colliers 
accompany  each  fleet;  and  as  soon  as  one  discharges  her  coal  into  the  bunkers  of  a  battle 
ship  or  cruiser,  she  steams  to  the  nearest  port  having  good  coaling  facilities,  reloads,  and 
hastens  back  to  the  fleet,  which  is  thus  kept  fully  supplied  not  only  with  coal,  but  with 
lubricating  oil  and  waste.  Some  of  the  colliers  are  armed  with  rapid-fire  guns,  so  as  to 
seize  as  prizes  the  merchant  vessels  of  the  enemy. 

Most  of  the  sea-going  steamships  are  provided  with  an  evaporating  plant,  which  is 
intended  merely  to  distil  fresh  water  for  drinking  and  culinary  purposes.  The  water  in 
the  boilers  of  a  warship  must  be  fresh  ;  and  since  there  is  not  sufficient  r6om  to  spare  for 
the  evaporating  plant,  each  boiler  is  fitted  with  a  sea-injection  to  be  used  as  a  last  re 
source.  Salt  water  is  so  destructive  to  the  tubes,  crown-sheets,  and  boilers,  that  frequent 
repairs  are  necessary  to  prevent  their  ruin.  To  meet  this  difficulty,  the  United  States 
engineers  have  designed  an  immense  distilling  ship,  the  Iris,  which  can  convert  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  gallons  of  sea-water  into  fresh  water  every  week  ;  and,  by  means  of  pow 
erful  pumps,  all  that  is  required  can  be  transferred  to  any  warship  whose  tanks  need 
refilling. 

The  Solace  is  a  floating  hospital,  equipped  with  the  most  approved  operating-tables, 
and  every  appliance  of  modern  surgery.  Nothing  is  wanting  to  minister  to  the  comfort 
of  the  sick  and  wounded.  Electric  fans,  a  laundry,  a  refrigerating-machine,  skilled  sur 
geons  and  trained  nurses,  are  the  most  noticeable  features  of  the  hospital  ship,  which  ren 
dered  its  blessed  service  after  the  battle  of  Santiago.  On  her  fore-truck  is  displayed  the 
Red  Cross  flag  of  the  Geneva  Convention,  and  she  is  immune  from  capture. 

There  are  also  vessels  fitted  up  for  the  sole  purpose  of  providing  for  the  comfort  of 
the  sailors.  They  are  simply  huge  floating  refrigerators,  carrying  thousands  of  tons  of 
beef  and  vegetables,  which  may  be  kept  fresh  and  sweet  for  months  in  the  frigid  cham 
bers  of  the  vessels,  no  .matter  how  tropical  the  climate.  The  supply  of  these  delicacies  is 
as  regular  as  if  the  ships  lay  in  New  York  harbor,  and  medical  authorities  agree  that  the 
excellent  health  of  our  fighting  sailors  is  largely  due  to  this  cause.  Admiral  Cervera 
expressed  his  astonishment  that  the  American  fleet  had  so  much  ammunition  remaining 
after  its  heavy  bombardment  of  the  forts  and  his  ships.  This  was  because  the  Armeria 
and  Fern  were  especially  fitted  out  to  carry  ammunition  for  the  ships.  The  Vulcan, 
which  was  also  added  to  Sampson's  squadron,  contained  a  foundry,  blacksmith's  shop, 
boiler-shop,  and  a  shop  provided  with  machine  tools,  including  lathes,  planers,  boring- 
maehines,  and  plate-rollers.  The  complement  included  the  most  skilful  machinists,  gun 
smiths,  electricians,  blacksmiths,  coppersmiths,  brass-workers,  plumbers,  shipwrights, 
and  carpenters.  The  British  navy  is  similarly  furnished,  but  its  outfit  is  not  so  complete 
as  ours.  Through  this  admirable  foresight,  most  of  the  repairs  needed  by  our  fleet  can 
be  made  thousands  of  miles  from  a  navy-yard. 


1908 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD     which — the  Brooklyn  (flagship),  Iowa,  Massachusetts,  and   Texas — 


OUR 


I898 


were  with  Commodore  Schley  off  Santiago;  two  —  the  New  York 
(flagship)  and  Indiana  —  with  Rear-Admiral  Sampson,  off  the  north- 
ern  coast  of  Cuba;  while  the  Oregon  was  at  Key  West,  filling  her 
coal-bunkers,  preparatory  to  joining  Rear-Admiral  Sampson. 

In  addition  to  these  armorclads,  the  monitors  Amphitrite,  Puri 
tan,    Terror,  and  Miantonomah  were  off  the  northwestern  coast  of 


Second 
Attack 

on 
Santiago 


OFF  FOR  CUBA 

Cuba.  To  the  eastward  of  Havana,  between  Cardenas  and  Cienfue- 
gos  on  the  south,  were  the  ships  of  Commodore  Watson's  blockading 
squadron,  which  included  cruisers,  gunboats,  torpedo-boats,  revenue- 
cutters,  auxiliary  cruisers,  and  converted  yachts  and  tugs. 

The  bombardment  of  the  Santiago  forts,  May  31,  by  Commo 
dore  Schley,  with  the  Massachusetts,  Iowa,  and  New  Orleans,  having 
been  followed  by  Hobson's  sinking  of  the  Merrimac  in  the  channel, 
Admiral  Sampson  decided  to  make  another  attack  on  the  fortifications 
at  Santiago,  with  the  purpose  of  completing  the  work  begun  by 
Commodore  Schley.  On  Sunday,  June  5.  the  Admiral  summoned  all 


CHAP.  CI 


McKlNLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1909 


the  captains  to  his  flagship,  explained  his  intention  to  them,  and  in 
structed  each  in  the  part  he  was  to  take  in  reducing  the  fortifications, 
which  the  Spaniards  were  actively  repairing. 

The  signal  to  clear  for  action  was  given  at  six  o'clock  the  next 
morning,  and  forty  minutes  later  the  ships  gradually  formed  into  two 
lines,  eight  hundred  yards  apart,  on  each  side  of  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor.  On  the  east  were  the  New  York,  Admiral  Sampson's  flag- 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


HAULING  TIMBER  IN  CUBA 

ship,  Iowa,  Oregon,  Yankee  ^nd  Dolphin  ;  while  on  the  west  were  the 
Brooklyn,  with  Commod  3re  Schley  on  board,  Massachusetts,  Texas, 
Vixen,  and  Suwanee,  the  lines  being  formed  six  miles  off-shore. 
Then  they  steamed  slowly  in  toward  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  until 
somewhat  more  than  two  miles  from  shore. 

All  the  men  having  breakfasted,  the  New  York  at  eight  o'clock 
sent  a  shell  from  one  of  her  8-inch  rifles  curving  over  toward  the 
ancient  Morro,  which  the  Spaniards  had  long  believed  impregnable. 
The  Brooklyn  was  hardly  a  minute  behind  the  flagship,  and  as  the 
bombardment  opened,  the  two  lines  began  manoeuvring — the  Admi- 


The 

Opening 

Gun 


1910  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 

PERIOD      ral's  squadron  turning  to  the  east,  and  the  Commodore's  to  the  west. 
—        The  precision  with  which  this  was  done  made  a  beautiful  and  impres- 
£rlAo'N    sive  picture. 

1898  The   lighter   ships,   obeying   the  signals,    remained   beyond   the 

range  of  the  heaviest  shore  batteries,  while  the  battleships  gradually 

steamed  in,  delivering  their  destructive  fire.     The  shore  batteries 

An  Im-    replied  weakly  at  first,  but  the  gunners  soon  gained  confidence  and 

Picture    returned  a  strong  fire ;  their  marksmanship,  however,  was  exceedingly 

poor,  and  not  one  of  the  American  ships  received  material  damage. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  the  marksmanship  of  our  country 
men  was  admirable  from  the  first.  The  shot  and  shell  dropped  in  the 
batteries  and  forts,  and  dust,  masonry,  guns,  and  men  were  hurled 
high  in  air.  The  New  York  and  Texas  were  astonishingly  accurate 
and  active  in  their  work,  and  the  Yankee,  manned  by  the  naval  militia, 
ran  close  to  shore,-and  her  men  fought  like  veteran  bluejackets. 

The  cannonading  lasted  for  two  hours  and  a  quarter.  Vast  dam 
age  was  inflicted,  and  the  venerable  Morro  tumbled  and  honey 
combed  by  the  terrific  tempest  that  descended  upon  it.  The  injury 
to  the  attacking  fleet  was  trifling.  A  bursting  shell  hit  the  Suwa- 
nee,  and  a  flying  fragment  slightly  bruised  a  seaman,  while  a  shot 
that  struck  the  military  mast  of  the  Massachusetts  scarcely  left  a 
trace.* 

Ten  miles  distant  on  a  mountain-top,  the  Cubans  began  popping 
away  with  a  battery  at  the  Spaniards,  but  accomplished  nothing. 
All  this  was  preliminary  to  the  first  landing  of  United  States  sol 
diers  in  Cuba,  which  was  made  June  11,  when  620  marines  from 
the  transport  Panther  went  ashore  at  Caimanera,  Guantanamo  Bay, 

*  It  was  wonderfully  interesting  to  watch  the  result  of  the  firing  against  the  defences 
of  Santiago.  Beginning  at  4,000  yards,  the  range  was  soon  reduced  to  1,800,  the  most 
effective  work  being  done  at  from  2,200  to  2, 800  yards.  It  was  hard  for  the  untrained 
eye,  looking  under  the  smoke  from  the  cannon's  discharge,  to  follow  the  course  of  the 
shell ;  but  there  was  no  mistake  as  to  where  it  landed.  When  the  shells  hit  soft  spots  on 
the  cliffs  and  exploded,  they  sent  reddish  earth  and  stones  hurtling  skyward.  Others 
struck  point-blank  and  burst  into  radiating  fragments,  which  left  thin  lines  of  bluish 
smoke  trailing  after  them.  Sometimes  a  shell  plunged  into  a  huge  crevice  and  exploded 
out  of  sight,  but  in  a  moment  huge  boulders  that  had  been  loosened  would  tumble  down 
ward  into  the  sea.  At  one  point  the  cliff  was  like  .flint,  and  the  shells  rebounded  and 
glanced  off  without  producing  any  effect.  Occasionally  these  deflections  were  in  straight 
lines,  and  again  a  vicious,  corkscrew  whirling  gave  a  vivid  idea  of  the  fearful  force  of 
the  projectile.  The  terrific  impact  made  the  shells  glow  with  heat  as  they  spun  upward 
into  the  clouds,  or  bounded  straight  back  as  if  seeking  to  return  to  the  ships  from  which 
they  had  been  fired. 


I9i2  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 

PERIOD     under  the  protection  of  the  Marblehead.     Despite  the  Spanish  boasts 
—       that  the  place  would  be  defended  to  the  last,  not  a  hostile  shot  was 


during  the  landing.     A  few  minutes  after  two  o'clock  in  the 
1898       afternoon,   Color-  Sergeant    Richard    Silvey,   of    Company  C,   First 
Battalion  of  Marines,  of  Brooklyn,  raised  the  flag  above  the  ruins  of 
a  blockhouse.     As  the  Stars  and  Stripes  streamed  to  the  breeze,  the 
First      marines  dropped  their  carbines,  picks,  and  shovels,  and  swinging 
in        their  caps  above  their  heads,  broke  into  enthusiastic  cheering. 

a  As  soon  as  the  men  were  safely  ashore,  the  half-dozen  houses  at 
the  entrance  to  the  bay  were  fired.  This  was  by  orders  of  the  com 
manding  officer,  who  took  every  precaution  to  prevent  an  outbreak 
of  yellow  fever  among  his  men.  While  the  landing  was  under  way, 
the  Oregon,  Marblehead,  Yankee,  Yo  Semite,  Porter,  Dolphin,  and 
Vixen  lay  off-shore,  and  prevented  any  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
Spaniards. 

The  town  of  Guantanamo  stands  fifteen  miles  distant,  at  the  head 
of  the  bay,  while  only  the  blockhouse,  a  fishing  village,  and  the 
cable-station  mark  the  entrance.  The  landing  was  for  the  purpose 
of  establishing  a  naval  base  for  the  American  fleet,  and  especially 
a  coaling-station,  the  facilities  for  which  were  perfect.  The  sur 
rounding  country  is  very  mountainous  ;  and  since  the  roads  were 
mere  mule-paths,  the  difficulties  of  moving  heavy  artillery  rendered 
it  a  poor  place  for  the  landing  of  troops. 

That  the  Spaniards  were  on  the  alert  to  seize  the  first  advantage 
was  soon  proven.  They  were  lurking  among  the  trees  and  under 
growth,  and  displayed  the  ingenuity  of  Apaches  in  picking  off  the 
American  soldiers  without  revealing  themselves.  They  veiled  their 
bodies  in  leaves,  stole  up  within  range,  and  fired  their  deadly  shots 
without  detection. 

The  marines  upon  landing  pitched  their  camp  on  the  brow  of  a 

low  hill  which  overlooked  the  outer  bay  and  the  entrance  to  Guan 

tanamo  harbor.     It  was  a  bad  location,  for  it  was  exposed  on  three 

sides,  and  offered  an  invitation  to  the  guerrilla  tactics  of  the  enemy. 

Camp     The  place  was  named  Camp  McCalla,  after  the  commander  of  the 

c  a  a    Marblehead.     It  was  known  that  more  than  a  thousand  Spanish  bush 

whackers  were  prowling  within  a  few  miles  of  the  camp,  all  armed 

with  the  deadly  Mauser  rifles  and  familiar  with  every  foot  of  the 

ground. 

Late  on  Saturday  afternoon,  June    11,  a  grizzled  insurgent  ran 


CHAP   ci      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1913 


into  Camp  McCalla  with  the  report  that  the  Spanish  skirmish-line 
was  approaching.  Within  the  same  minute  the  sharp  ping  of  rifles 
was  heard,  and  the  reports  showed  that  the  enemy  were  making  a 
fierce  attack  upon  the  outposts.  The  Mausers  were  answered  by 
volleys  from  jthe  Lee-Metford  rifles  of  the  Americans,  who  were 
eager  to  plunge  into  the  bushes  after  the  invisible  foe.  Colonel 
Huntington  and  his  officers  managed  to  hold  them  in  check,  and  to 
give  all  their  energies  toward  resisting  the  assault  on  the  camp. 

While  the  subsequent  conduct  of  the  Cubans  was  in  more  than 
one  instance  anything  but  creditable,  it  must  be  conceded  that  at 


PERIOD 
VIII 


1898 


MODE  OF  TRAVELING  IN  CUBA. 

Camp  McCalla  they  were  brave  and  gave  great  aid  to  the  Americans. 
This  was  due  to  their  experience  in  bush-fighting  and  their  familiarity 
with  the  guerrilla  tactics  of  the  enemy. 

The  firing  was  so  savage  that  Commander  McCalla,  of  the  Marble- 
head,  hurried  his  marines  ashore,  and  the  fighting  lasted  for  more 
than  half-an-hour.  The  enemy  hovered  around  the  camp  through  the 
night,  making  fully  a  dozen  attacks,  the  most  determined  of  which 
was  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  volleys  were  fired  from 
every  side.  The  outposts  were  driven  in,  the  sentries  retreating 
slowly,  and  returning  shot  for  shot.  Colonel  Huntington  dared  not 
fire  the  two  field-pieces  that  had  been  hauled  up  the  hill,  for  to  shell 


Bush 
Fighting 


DEPARTURE  OF  UNITED  STATES  TROOPS   FOR   MANILA 


CHAP,  ci      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1915 


the  thickets  and  swamps  would  be  as  dangerous  to  the  marines  as  to 
the  enemy.  During  this  Indian -like  fighting,  four  Americans  were 
killed  and  several  received  slight  wounds. 

Captain  Charles  D.  Sigsbee,  formerly  of  the  Maine,  was  in  command 
of  the  St.  Paul,  and  was  engaged  in  blockading  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico, 
when,  on  June  22,  the  enemy  made  a  spirited  attack  upon  him.  A 
Spanish  unprotected  cruiser  and  the  torpedo-boat  destroyer  Terror 
steamed  out  of  the  harbor,  and  the  latter  dashed  at  the  St.  Paul, 
which  calmly  awaited  her  coming.  When  within  effective  range,  the 
American  planted  three  shots  into  her  with  such  precision  that  an 
officer  and  two  men  were  killed,  a  number  wounded,  and  the  craft  so 
badly  crippled  that,  to  escape  sinking,  she  was  hastily  towed  back  to 
the  protection  of  the  fortifications.  Thenceforward  she  troubled  the 
St.  Paul  no  more. 

An  account  has  been  given  of  the  landing  of  620  marines  from 
the  transport  Panther,  on  the  iith  of  June.  Ten  days  later,  the 
vanguard  of  the  American  army  of  invasion  effected  a  landing  at 
Daiquiri  village,  a  short  distance  inland,  and  seventeen  miles  to  the 
eastward  of  Santiago.  General  Shafter's  transports  arrived  with 
15,000  troops  on  June  20.  A  consultation  was  held  by  General 
Shafter,  Admiral  Sampson,  and  General  Calixto  Garcia,  and  an 
understanding  reached  by  which  every  detail  was  carried  out  without 
any  difficulty. 

The  Spanish  garrison  at  Daiquiri  made  a  weak  resistance,  and 
then  ran  off  before  the  combined  fire  of  the  land  and  sea  forces, 
pausing  long  enough  to  set  fire  to  a  part  of  the  town,  and  blowing  up 
two  of  the  magazines  of  the  garrison. 

The  enemy  were  looking  for  the  invasion ;  and  in  order  to  deceive 
them,  the  coaling-ships  were  sent  to  the  west  of  the  entrance  of  San 
tiago  Bay,  as  if  they  were  transports  looking  for  a  landing-place  for 
the  troops.  When  the  Spaniards  discovered  this  decoy  at  daylight, 
they  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  colliers,  but  did  not  graze  them. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  troopships,  falling  back  out  of  sight  of 
land,  steamed  eastward,  and  at  last  lined  up  off  Bacanao,  an  inlet  a 
little  to  the  west  of  Playa  del  Este,  where  the  cable-station  was 
established.  The  day  could  not  have  been  more  favorable. 

While  the  transports  were  drawing  near  the  long -trestle  pier  at 
Daiquiri  anchorage,  the  battleships  opened  fire  upon  the  village  of 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 

Exploit 

of  the 

St.  Paul 


Landing 

of  the 

Troops 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD     Juragua,  some   six  miles  west  of   Daiquiri,  and  thus  succeeded  in 


1898 


Success- 
Work 


diverting  the  attention  of  the  enemy  from  the  transports.  It  did 
not  ta^e  l°n£  to  s^ence  tne  shore  batteries,  and  the  New  Orleans 
ancj  j-he  gunboats  accompanying  the  transports  by  a  heavy  fire 
cleared  the  shore  in  front  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  landing  of 
the  troops.  Then  the  converted  tugs  and  steam  launches  towed  the 
long  lines  of  boats  alongside  the  transports,  and  the  men,  as  happy 


VESUVIUS,"  U.  S.  N. 

and  eager  as  schoolboys  let  out  for  a  holiday,  scrambled  into  them. 
Each  had  a  shelter-tent,  two  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition  for  his 
rifle,  and  three  days'  rations. 

The  first  regulars  to  reach  the  shore  belonged  to  the  First  and 
Eighth  infantry,  while  the  Second  Massachusetts  led  the  volunteers. 
The  hills  and  undergrowth  wherever  a  foe  could  lurk  were  continu 
ally  raked  by  the  gunboats,  and  so  thoroughly  cleaned  out  that  not 
an  answering  shot  was  fired.  The  landing  was  completed  without 
the  loss  of  a  man. 

Advancing  to  Daiquiri,  it  was  found  only  partly  injured  by  fire,. 
and  the  Americans  took  possession,  and  at  night  a  strong  guard  was. 
placed  to  avert  -all  possibility  of  surprise.  There  was  no  molesta 
tion,  and  the  task  of  landing  the  remaining  two-thirds  of  the  troops 
was  resumed  the  next  morning,  the  Spaniards  still  offering  no  re- 


1918 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR  . 
COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 
1898 


sistance,  though  occasionally  firing  a  shot.     One  of  these  from  the 
Estrella  battery  killed  a  sailor  on  the  Texas. 

A  war  always  brings  forward  a  number  of  inventions  for  a  prac 
tical  test  of  their  effectiveness..  Among  these  must  be  mentioned 
the  dynamite-cruiser  Vesuvius,  of  which  much  was  expected.  This 
unique  craft  arrived  off  Santiago,  June  14.  Keeping  out  of  sight 
until  night,  she  stole  up  to  within  a  third  of  a  mile  of  the  Morro,  and, 


DAIQUIRI,  CUBA  (WHERE  U.  S.  TROOPS  FIRST  LANDED> 

taking  up  her  position,  fired  three  shots  at  one-minute  intervals.  These 
Vesuvius  Were  discharged  by  means  of  compressed  air.  There  was  no  percep 
tible  recoil,  and  the  report  given  off  resembled  the  cough  of  a  huge 
animal.  The  effect  of  these  shots  was  prodigious,  dirt,  stones,  and 
debris  being  hurled  to  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet  by  the  ex 
ploding  gun-cotton,  while  gaping  caverns  were  opened  in  the  mountain, 
side.  The  work  accomplished,  the  Vesuvius  backed  out  of  her  dan 
gerous  position  with  great  speed.  This  craft  subsequently  gave 
further  proof  of  its  fearful  power ;  but  of  necessity  she  was  always 
in  great  peril,  since  she  was  unprotected,  and  a  single  shot  from  the 
enemy  was  likely  to  blow  her  and  her  crew  into  fragments  by  explod 
ing  the  dynamite  on  board  of  her.  * 

*  The  Vesuvius,  until  she  demonstrated  her  usefulness,  was   regarded  with  general 
distrust.      Her  chief  defect  is  her  inability  to  turn  rapidly  owing  to  her  great  length  and 


CHAP,  ci  McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION  1919 


Since  the  first  American  army  of  invasion  was  now  firmly  estab-      PERIO& 
lished  on  Cuban  soil,  and  the  movement  against  Santiago  had  fairly 


begun,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  understand  the  progress  made  in 


OUR 

3LONI> 

EXPANSION 

pressing  the  war  to  a  triumphant  conclusion,  that  attention  should       l898 
be  given  to  events  elsewhere. 

Despite  the  decisive  disaster  at  Manila,  the  war  spirit  in  Spain 
continued  defiant  and  aggressive.      Beyond  all  question,  the  leaders    Defiance 
saw  from  the  first  the  folly  of  a  struggle  against  the  resistless  power      Spain 
and  limitless  resources  of  the  United  States;  but  the  majority  of  the 
Spanish  people  are  ignorant,  and  the  bulletins  that  reported  every 
defeat  of  their  arms  as  a  victory  over  the  American  "pigs"  were 
generally  believed,  until  gradually  the  disheartening  truth  became 
known.     The  myth  of  Spanish    "  honor"  could  not  be  satisfied  until 
at  least  one  victory  was  gained,  or  the  country  was  crushed  by  over 
whelming  disaster. 

The  "  Butcher  Weyler"  and  his  numerous  partisans  were  rampant, 
and  proclaimed  themselves  ready  to  shed  their  last  drop  of  blood 
before  surrendering  a  foot  of  territory ;  but  of  them  the  remark  of  one 
of  our  noted  humorists  might  be  repeated :  such  patriots  are  very 
particular  about  shedding  the  first  drop.  These  men  remained  at 
home  to  vex  and  embarrass  the  Government.  Moreover,  Carlos,  the 
pretender  beyond  the  border,  had  numerous  supporters,  and  they 
were  vigilant  to  seize  the  first  opportunity  presented,  which  they  did 
not  hesitate  to  declare  would  be  when  Spain  attempted  to  buy  peace 
by  yielding  up  any  part  of  her  territory.  Furthermore,  a  certain 
unrest  prevailed  in  this  country  regarding  Spain's  threatened  cam 
paign  against  us.  Even  though  her  fleet  at  Manila  had  been  sent  Spain's 
to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  Admiral  Cervera  and  his  squadron  Fleet 
were  believed  to  be  securely  locked  in  Santiago  harbor,  there  was 
a  third  fleet  under  Admiral  Camara  upon  which  Spain  placed  great 
hope.  Sometimes  it  was  reported  that  it  was  on  the  eve  of  crossing 
the  Atlantic  and  bombarding  our  leading  cities.  This,  however, 

narrow  beam.  Although  provided  with  twin  screws,  it  is  hard  for  her  to  turn  in  a  radius 
of  less  than  400  yards.  Another  defect  is  that  her  three  tubes  are  stationary  and  can  be 
trained  only  by  the  rudder.  Thus  the  task  becomes  almost  impossible  in  rough  weather. 
For  years  she  was  the  fastest  boat  in  the  navy.  Her  tubes  are  of  1 5-inch  calibre,  but  at 
this  writing  she  has  never  fired  the  full  charge  she  is  capable  of  throwing.  Sub-calibre 
charges  of  5-,  8-,  and  lo-inch  projectiles,  containing 'from  200  to  500  pounds  of  gun-cot 
ton,  were  used  in  the  attack  on  the  defences  of  Santiago.  Her  range  of  effectiveness  is 
from  one  mile  to  one  mile  and  a  half  for  smaller  charges,  and  her  power  is  so  tremendous 
that  it  is  unlikely  that  higher  charges  will  be  employed. 


CHAP,  ci  McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1921 

caused  less  apprehension  than  the  belief  that  Admiral  Camara  would      PERIOB 
take  his  \\arships  through  the  Suez  canal  and  attack  Admiral  Devvey's        — 
ships  before  reinforcements  could  reach  the  American  commander.        £°L°N'**i 

JL  JjXPANSIOK 

Our  Government  was  determined  to  hold  the  great  advantage  gained       l898 
in  the  Philippines  and  to  reinforce  Admiral  Dewey  at  .the  earliest  prac 
ticable  day.     While  the  Admiral  was  confident  that  he  could  capture 

Manila  whenever  he  chose  to  do  so,  he  refrained  because  his  force    Dewey's 

Consum- 
was  not  strong  enough  to  occupy  and  hold  it.      This  gallant  officer      mate 

proved   himself  not   only  a  consummate  sailor  .and  fighter,  but  a     Abllity 
statesman.      Fully  comprehending  the  many  delicate  duties  of  his 
responsible  situation,  he  was  so  prudent  and  tactful  that  he  com 
mitted  no  blunder.* 

He  held  several  interviews  with  Aguinaldo,  leader  of  the  insur 
gents,  but  always  did  so  unofficially,  and  thus  avoided  committing 
his  Government  to  any  scheme  or  policy  that  could  possibly  embar 
rass  it.  He  won  the  high  regard  of  Aguinaldo,  and  formed  a  liking 
for  the  remarkable  man,  from  whom  he  secured  a  pledge  to  conduct 
his  war  against  the  Spaniards  in  a  civilized  manner.  Dewey  warned 
the  insurgent  leader  that  if  he  failed  to  do  so  the  guns  of  the  Ameri 
can  fleet  would  be  turned  upon  him  ;  and  Aguinaldo  kept  his  promise. 

Aguinaldo  displayed  energy  and  ability  in  his  operations  against 
the  Spaniards,  and  won  a  number  of  creditable  successes.  Within 
a  fortnight  he  gathered  around  him  a  force  of  3,000  armed  men  and 
captured  1,600  prisoners,  besides  the  entire  province  of  Cavitd 
His  recruits  increased  rapidly  as  he  marched  against  the  city  of 
Manila,  and  his  successes  steadily  continued. 

On  May  24  he  issued  three  proclamations.  In  the  first  he  stated 
that  he  had  laid  down  his  arms  and  disbanded  a  strong  army  upon 
the  solemn  assurance  of  Spain  that  the  reforms  demanded  would  be 

*  Mr.  Cunninghame-Grahame,  a  former  member  of  the  British  Parliament,  made  the 
charge  that  the  gunners  of  Dewey's  ships  in  the  battle  of  Manila  Bay  were  British  sea 
men,  bribed  to  leave  her  Majesty's  service  by  the  pay  of  .£100  a  month  apiece.  Despite 
the  absurdity  of  the  statement,  our  Government  made  an  investigation,  which  was  com 
pleted  July  18.  The  truth  was  established  that  of  the  1,445  men  on  the  American 
ships,  only  67  were  aliens,  and  of  these  but  8  were  British  subjects,  4  of  whom  were  on 
the  Olympia  and  4  on  the  Raleigh.  Not  one  of  the  8  was  a  gunner.  They  were  ordi 
nary  seamen,  a  carpenter's  mate,  a  coal-passer,  and  a  water-tender.  Thirty-one  of  the 
67  aliens  were  Chinese  mess  attendants  and  cooks,  all  of  whom  Admiral  Dewey  recom 
mended  should  be  allowed  to  become  American  citizens  by  the  passage  of  a  special  law. 
It  would  seem  that  Mr.  Cunninghame-Grahame  had  need  only  to  recall  the  War  of  1812, 
to  comprehend  that,  if  his  charge  were  true,  it  was  not  impossible  that  Admiral  Dewey 
would  have  suffered  a  defeat  at  Manila. 


1922 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


Expedi 
tions  to 

the 

Philip 
pines 


O.  RAMON  DE  AUNON,  SPAIN'S  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY 

praised  nation  of   North 
America." 

On  May  11,  Maj.- 
Gen.  Wesley  Merritt  was 
ordered  to  the  Philippine 
Islands  as  military  gov 
ernor,  and  on  the  22d  the 
cruiser  Charleston  sailed 
from  San  Francisco  for 
Manila  by  way  of  Hono 
lulu,  cheered  by  the  7,000 
soldiers  gathered  at  the 
Presidio.  On  the  25th, 
the  transports  Australia, 
City  of  Peking,  and  City 
of  Sydney  left  the  port 
for  the  same  destination, 
bearing  2 , 5  oo  troops.  On 


granted;  but  the  prom 
ise  had  been  repudiated. 
In  view  of  this,  he  for 
bade  in  his  second  proc 
lamation  every  attempt 
at  negotiation  between 
the  rebels  and  the  Span 
iards  for  peace.  His 
third  proclamation  was 
addressed  to  the  Filip- 
pinos ;  and  after  grace 
fully  expressing  his  grati 
tude  to  the  great  North 
American  nation,  gave 
rigid  orders  to  respect 
the  lives  and  property 
of  all  foreigners,  and  to 
conduct  the  war  hu 
manely  "  in  order  to 
retain  the  high  opinion 
of  the  never-too-highly- 


ADMIRAL  CAMARA  (SPANISH  NAVY) 


CHAP.  CI 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1923 


June  15,  the  second  expedition  sailed  in  four  transports,  with  3,540 
men.  At  the  request  of  General  Merritt,  a  naval  convoy  escorted 
the  transports  from  Honolulu  to  Manila.  On  June  28,  the  third 
fleet  of  vessels,  laden  with  troops  and  supplies,  sailed  from  San 
Francisco,  carrying  4,650  men.  The  steamer  Indiana  was  the  flag 
ship,  and  was  accom 
panied  by  the  City  of 
Para,  the  OJiio,  and  the 
Morgan  City. 

The  total  strength  of 
these  three  expeditions 
was  10,464  enlisted  men 
and  470  officers.  The 
first  was  commanded  by 
Brig. -Gen.  Thomas  M. 
Anderson,  the  second  by 
Brig. -Gen.  F.  V.  Greene, 
and  the  third  by  Brig.- 
Gen.  Arthur  MacArthur. 
The  cruiser  Charleston, 
which  joined  the  first 
expedition  at  Honolulu, 
seized  Guam,  the  largest 
of  the  Ladrone  Islands 
belonging  to  Spain,  and 
the  ships  arrived  with 
out  mishap  at  Manila  on 

June  30.*  The  situation  before  the  arrival  of  the  American  rein 
forcements  was  that  the  Spanish  troops  in  Manila  numbered  about 
25,000,  while  the  insurgents,  always  increasing  in  number,  made 

*  Capt.  Charles  V.  Gridley,  who  commanded  Admiral  Dewey's  flagship,  the  cruiser 
Olympia,  in  the  battle  of  Manila,  died  at  Kobe,  Japan,  June  4.  lie  was  not  wounded 
in  the  battle,  but  succumbed  to  illness  on  his  way  home,  a  few  days  after  President  Mc- 
Kinley  had  sent  to  the  Senate  his  nomination  for  advancement  six  numbers  in  the  list  of 
his  grade.  Captain  Gridley  was  born  in  Indiana,  and  being  graduated  from  the  Naval 
Academy  in  1863,  fought  through  the  last  two  years  of  the  Civil  War.  As  an  ensign, 
he  was  in  the  battle  of  Mobile  Bay,  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  master  on  May  10, 
1866,  being  shortly  afterward  assigned  to  the  Brooklyn,  the  flagship  of  the  Brazil  squad 
ron.  He  was  promoted  to  a'  lieutenancy  on  February  21,  1867,  and  assigned  to  the 
Kearsarge.  While  still  on  the  Kearsarge  he  was  made  lieutenant-commander,  March 
12,  1868,  and  for  four  years  was  instructor  at  the  Naval  Academy.  He  reached  the  rank 
124 


CAPT.  CHARLES  V.  GRIDLEY 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


I924 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PvmD 


i8g8 


Spain's 
Greed 

and 
Idiocy 


stea(ty  encroachments  upon  them.  The  discourtesy,  sometimes 
reaching  insolence,  of  the  officers  of  the  German  warships  in  the 
harbor  toward  Admiral  Dewey,  together  with  the  half-repressed 
sympathy  of  Germany  for  Spain,  caused  the  loyalists  in  the  city 
to  base  strong  hopes  upon  German  interference.  Undoubtedly  this 
would  have  manifested  itself  openly  but  for  the  friendly  attitude  of 
England. 

To  show  the  greed  and  idiocy  of  Spain's  rule  over  her  colonies, 
the  following  may  be  given  as  the  list  of  grievances  of  the  native 


SPANISH  CAVALRY  AT  FORD 

Filippinos,  living  in  Madrid.  Since  quotations  are  made  from  the 
administrative  budget  of  1896-97,  there  can  be  no  question  of  the 
basis  of  these  complaints.  Quoting  from  the  budget,  the  complaint 
states  that  the  Philippine  treasury  pays  a  heavy  contribution  to  the 
general  expenses  of  the  Government  at  Madrid ;  pays  pensions  to 
the  Duke  de  Veragua  (our  guest  during  the  Columbian  Exhibition) 

of  captain  on  March  14,  1897,  and  on  July  28  took  command  of  the  Olympia.  At 
Manila,  when  Admiral  Dewey  thought  the  time  had  come  to  open  the  engagement,  he 
said:  "When  you  are  ready,  Gridley,  commence  firing."  The  Captain  did  not  wait, 
and  by  his  orders  the  first  shot  of  that  memorable  battle  was  fired.  When,  yielding  to 
sickness.  Captain  Gridley  left  the  fleet,  Admiral  Dewey  on.the  flagship  escorted  him 
down  the  bay  as  a  mark  of  his  esteem  of  the  brave  and  faithful  officer. 


CHAP,  ci  McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1925 

and  to  the  Marquis  of  Bedmar,   besides  those  of  the  sultans  and      PERIOD 

VIII 

native  chiefs  of  the  islands  of  Sulu  and  Mindanao ;  it  provides  for  the 

OUR 

entire  cost  of  the  Spanish  consulates  at  Peking,  Tokio,  Hong-Kong, 
Singapore,.  Saigon,   Yokohama,  and  Melbourne;    for  the  staff   and 
material  of  the  Minister  of  the  Colonies,  including  the  purely  ornamen 
tal  Council  of  the  Philippines ;  the  expenses  of  supporting  the  colony 
of  Fernando  Po,  in  Africa ;  and  all  the  pensions  and  retiring  allow-      Gross 
ances  of  the  civil  and  military  employees  who  have  served  in  the     gance 
Philippines,  amounting  to  the  sum  of  $1,160,000  a  year. 

And  here  is  a  summary  of  what  Spain  has  done  in  return : 
"  More  than  $  1 7,000,000  is  ,the  amount  consigned  in  the  Philip 
pine  budget  for  that  year,  but  not  a  penny  is  allowed  for  public 
works,  highways,  bridges,  or  public  buildings,  and  only  $6,000  for 
scientific  studies,  indispensable  repairs,  rivers,  and  canals,  while  the 
amount  set  apart  for  religious  purposes  and  'clergy  amounts  to  nearly 
$1,400,000.  This  sum  does  not  include  the  amounts  paid  to  the 
clergy  for  baptisms,  marriages,  fees  for  funerals,  papal  bulls,  and 
scapularies,  which  exceed  the  Government  allowances.  The  magnif 
icent  sum  of  $40,000  is  set  apart  as  a  subvention  to  railway  com 
panies  and  new  projects  of  railways,  but  the  College  for  Franciscan 
monks  in  Spain  and  the  transportation  of  priests  comes  in  for 
$55,000!" 

It  seems  impossible  that  this  situation  could  occur  in  the  nine 
teenth  century.  The  total  sum  expended  for  all  new  improvements 
was  $6,000,  yet  the  sum  paid  to  the  choir  of  the  Manila  Cathedral 
was  $4,000.  Sixty  thousand  dollars  was  all  that  was  devoted  to  the 
support  of  public  instruction,  including  naval,  scientific,  technical, 
and  art  schools,  museums,  libraries,  the  observatory,  and  a  special 
chair  in  the  University  of  Madrid.  And  by  no  means  the  least  im 
portant  of  all  was  the  ever-present  fact  that,  from  the  governor-gen-  Uni- 
eral  down  to  the  lowest  alguacil,  the  chief  aim  and  effort  in  life 
was  to  rob  and  steal.  A  goodly  portion  of  Weyler's  enormous  for 
tune  was  accumulated  while  he  was  governor-general  of  the  Philip 
pines. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  important  part  played  in  those 
islands  by  the  insurgent  leader  Don  Emilio  Aguinaldo,  of  Fami,  or 
General  Aguinaldo,  as  he  is  more  commonly  called.  Since  he  con 
tinued  to  be  active  in  making  history  during  the  closing  events  in 
Manila,  he  and  his  doings  deserve  a  more  extended  notice. 


1926 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD 
VIII 


OUR 


In  the  closing  months  of  1897,  the  insurgents  held  the  mountains 
in  the  interior  of  Luzon,  and  the  Spaniards  the  sea-coast  towns. 
Governor-General  Primo  de  Rivera  saw  only  one  way  of  ending  this 
condition  of  affairs,  and  that  was  by  buying  off  the  insurgent  leaders. 
Negotiations  were  opened,  and  finally  the  rebels  agreed  to  lay  down 
their  arms  on  the  following  conditions  : 

First  —  The  expulsion  or  secularization  of  the  religious  orders,  and 
the  abolition  of  all  the  official  vetoes  of  these  orders  in  civil  affairs. 


Second — A  general  amnesty  for  all  rebels,  and  guarantees  for 
their  personal  security  and  from  the  vengeance  of  the  friars  and 
parish  priests  after  returning  to  their  homes. 

Third — Radical  reforms  to  curtail  the  glaring  abuses  in  the 
administration. 

Fourth — Freedom  of  the  press  to  denounce  official  corruption 
and  blackmailing. 

Fifth — Representation  in  the  Spanish  Parliament. 

Sixth — Abolition  of  the  iniquitous  system  of  secret  deportation 
of  political  suspects. 


CHAP,  ci  McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1927 

The  governor-general  agreed  to  these  conditions,  and  paid  about      PERIOD 
half  a  million  dollars  to  Aguinaldo  on  the  pledge  that  he  and  his 
associates  should  leave  the  country.     They  departed,  and  Aguinaldo   E^™1,^ 
refused  to  make  an  equitable  division  with  his  comrades,  the  situa-       l898 
tion  that  followed  being  much  the  same  as  that  which  succeeded  the 
signing  of  the  treaty  of  Zanjon,  which  terminated  the  Ten  Years' 
War  in  Cuba.     The  governor-general  of  the  Philippines  peremptorily    Spain's 
refused  to  carry  out  a  single  one  of  the  promises  made.      Without 
regarding  the  perfidy  of  this  course,  its  stupidity  is  inconceivable; 
for,  though  Aguinaldo  and  his  friends  had  left  the  islands,  he  going 
to  Singapore,  and  the  others  to  Hong-Kong,  it  was  easy  for  them  to 
return,  and  they  did  so,  considering  themselves  absolved  from  their 
pledges  by  the  violation  of  faith  on  the  part  of  the  governor-gen 
eral.      Even  before  the  war  with  this  country  had  begun,  the  enraged 
insurgent  leaders  had  decided  to  revive  the  insurrection. 

Before  resuming  our  account  of  the  campaign  in  Cuba,  it  is 
necessary  to  give  attention  to  a  number  of  other  events  directly  con 
nected  with  the  war.  In  Chapter  LX XX VII I.  the  Hawaii  question 
was  fully  treated,  down  to  the  close  of  President  Cleveland's  second 
administration.  The  President  was  stoutly  opposed  to  the  annexa 
tion  of  the  islands,  although  such  a  step  was  strongly  favored  by  the 
natives  and  by  this  country.  Indeed,  but  for  the  opposition  of  Con 
gress,  Mr.  Cleveland  would  have  used  force  to  restore  Queen  Liliuo- 
kalani  to  the  throne.  The  Dole  Government  firmly  refused  to  relin 
quish  its  authority  to  the  deposed  queen. 

The  war  with  Spain  emphasized  two  important  needs  of  this  coun 
try.  The  first  was  the  completion  of  the  Nicaragua  Canal.  Had 
this  existed,  the  Oregon,  instead  of  making  the  long,  expensive,  and 
dangerous  voyage  from  San  Francisco  by  way  of  Magellan  Straits, 
could  have  shortened  it  by  one-half,  and  communication  between  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  seaboards  would  have  been  made  quick  and  easy.  tant 

An  equally  urgent  need  was  the  possession  of  the  Hawaiian 
Islands.  Had  these  been  acquired  five  years  previous,  when  Presi 
dent  Cleveland  withdrew  from  the  Senate  the  treaty  of  annexation, 
a  cable  would  have  been  laid  and  Admiral  Dewey  would  have  had  a 
base  of  supplies  in  the  Pacific,  with  communication  to  our  shores, 
and  Honolulu  would  have  been  a  great  naval  outpost,  easily  defended 
•and  invaluable  to  us. 

Hardly  had  the  news  of  Dewey's  overwhelming  victory  reached 


CHAP.  CI 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1929 


the  United  States  when  Representative  Newlands  introduced  into 
the  House  a  resolution  for  the  annexation  of  Hawaii.  President  Dole 
showed  the  eagerness  of  himself  and  his  fellow-citizens  for  the  com 
pletion  of  this  step  by  offering  to  transfer  the  islands  to  our  country 
for  the  purposes  of  our  war  with  Spain.  A  position  of  neutrality 
would  have  been  onerous  to  us,  for  Hawaii  was  the  only  practicable 
stopping-place  for  our  expeditions  on  their  long  voyage  from  San 
Francisco  to  the  Philippines. 

The  proposal  for  annexation  developed  a  strong  opposition  in 
the  Senate,  but  the  final  result  was  inevitable  from  the  beginning. 
Every  possible  argument  for  and  against  such  action  was  brought 
forward,  and  more  than  one  interesting  historical  fact  was  revealed. 
Thus,  within  a  comparatively  brief  period,  the  United  States,  Eng 
land,  and  Germany  had  established  a  protectorate  over  Samoa ;  Spain 
made  good  her  claim  to  the  Caroline  Islands  and  the  Pelews ;  France 
had  supplemented  her  earlier  protectorate  over  the  Society,  Marquesas, 
and  Paumotu  groups,  her  occupation  of  New  Caledonia  and  her  con 
trol  of  the  Loyalty  Archipelago,  by  annexing  Tahiti  and  the  New 
Hebrides ;  while  Germany  and  England  divided  between  them  all  the 
unappropriated  islands  in  an  immense  expanse  of  the  west  Pacific, 
with  the  exception  of  Samoa,  Tonga,  and  Nine.*  The  German  flag 
floated  over  the  shores  of  New  Guinea  from  Cape  King  William  to 
Astrolabe  Bay,  and  was  now  hoisted  over  the  Kermadec,  Marshall, 
Brown,  Providence,  New  Ireland,  New  Britain,  and  most  of  the 
Solomon  group.  Great  Britain  some  time  before  had  gathered  into 
her  fold  the  Fij  is,  the  south  side  of  New  Guinea,  the  Louisade  groups, 
Long  and  Rook's  islands,  and  she  now  assumed  possession  of  a  number 
of  other  islets.  Between  1888  and  1892  inclusive,  she  raised  her  flag 
over  the  Gilbert,  Ellice,  Enderbury,  and  Union  groups,  and  nearly 
twenty  other  islands. 

*  Despatches  sent  from  Sydney,  Australia,  in  July,  1898,  show  that  the  British  cruiser 
Mohawk  had  annexed  the  Santa  Cruz  and  Duff  groups  of  the  Pacific  Islands.  The  total 
number  of  islands  annexed  is  eighteen.  These  islands  lie  to  the  east  of 'the  Solomon 
Islands,  their  position  being  approximately  10°  south,  167°  east.  The  group  is  of  vol 
canic  formation,  and  on  one  of  the  islands  is  an  active  volcano.  The  northwest  monsoons, 
which  prevail  from  November  to  April,  bring  stormy  weather  and  rains.  The  Santa 
Cruz  group,  or  Queeu  Charlotte  Islands,  as  their  other  name  is,  were  discovered  in  1595. 
There  is  a  tragedy  connected  with  this  outward  part  of  the  New  Hebrides.  A  quarter  of 
a  century  ago  Bishop  Patterson  was  murdered  there,  and  four  years  later  Commodore 
Goodenough  shared  the  same  fate.  The  group,  which  contains  seven  principal  islands, 
has  a  total  area  of  360  square  miles.  The  estimated  population  is  5,000. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Interest* 
ing 

Histori 
cal 

Facts 


1930 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD 
VIII 


OUR 


The  United  States   did  not  utter  a  word  in  opposition,  except 
perhaps  to  claim  that  where  our  commercial  interests  were  concerned 
COLONIAL    we  should  feel  at  liberty  to  take  the  same  action.     The  European 

UrXPANSION  + 

1898  nations  have  always  been  alert  to  acquire  naval  and  commercial  sta 
tions  in  the  Pacific.  England  was  none  the  less  anxious  to  establish 
a  coaling-station  in  the  Fijis  because  she  already  possessed  Sydney, 
Melbourne,  Auckland,  Hong-Kong,  and  Singapore,  besides  Vancou- 


HAWAIIAN    HOTEL,   HONOLULU 


The 
New- 
lands 

Resolu 
tion 

Passed 


ver  and  Esquimalt  on  this  side  of  the  ocean.  Germany  added  to  her 
appropriation  by  taking  Kiao-Chow.  France  secured  a  station  in 
Tahiti ;  and  Russia,  although  she  had  Vladivostok,  added  Port  Ar 
thur.  Since  we  possess  a  great  frontage  on  the  Pacific,  it  would 
seem  that  it  was  as  much  our  duty  to  provide  for  ourselves  as  it  was 
for  the  powers  named  to  look  after  their  own  interests. 

The  final  vote  on,  the  Newlands  resolution  for  the  annexation  of 
Hawaii  was  taken  on  July  6,  and  the  proposal  was  carried  by  42  to  21. 
It  is  worth  noting  that  among  the  opponents  were  three  Republicans 
and  among  the  supporters  six  Democrats. 


SCENES  IN  HAWAII 


COPYRIGHT    1898. 


>I/A-^  V   v< 

FROM    THE   ORiOINAL  DRAV™&Jt%'™f.'%rTO«i'^^^^  "^>    ^ 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 

PvniD         On  tne  evening  °f  July  7>  President  McKinley  signed  the  official 

o^       copy  of  the  resolutions,  and  thus  was  completed  the  annexation  of 

EXPANSION  tne  islands  to  the  United  States.     The  assumption  of  their  formal 

l89°       possession  was  deferred  until  the  Hawaiian  legislature  ratified  the 

resolutions. 

The  course  adopted  was  precisely  the  same  as  when  Texas, 
glaimed  by  Mexico  as  a  part  of  her  territory,  was  admitted  to  the 
Union,  and  the  treaty  followed  the  precedent  afforded  during 


MAIN  STREET,  HONOLULU  (LOOKING  TOWARD  THE  MOUNTAINS) 

President  Grant's  administration  for  the  annexation  of  the  Domini- 
The  Ha-  can  republic  to  the  United  States.     President  McKinley  appointed 
Com-     as  members  of  the   Hawaiian  commission  Senators  Shelby  M.  Cul- 
mission    lOm,  of  Illinois,  John  T.  Morgan,  of  Alabama,  Representative  Robert 
R.  Hitt,  of  Illinois,  and  President  Dole  and  Chief  Justice  Judd  of 
the. Hawaiian  republic.     The  American  Commissioners  were  all  mem 
bers  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Relations  and   Foreign  Affairs, 
and  were  eminently  qualified  for  their  work.     Pending  the  transfer  of 
the  islands  to  the  United  States,  and  the  adjustment  of  the  new  rela 
tions,  H.  M.  Sewall,  minister  to  the  Hawaiian  republic,  remained  at 
Honolulu  as  diplomatic  agent  of  the  United  States. 


CHAP,  ci      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1933 


PERIOD 


It  is  an  impressive  fact  that  so-called  civilization  proved  a  curse 
to  Hawaii,  as  it  proved  to  be  in  many  similar  instances.  When 
Captain  Cook  discovered  the  islands,  in  1778,  they  contained  a 
native  population  of  about  200,000.  In  the  course  of  the 
following  century,  five-sixths  of  this  number  disappeared,  and  Blight  of 
there  are  more  each  of  Japanese  and  Chinese  to-day  than  of 
Hawaiians.  In  1897,'  the  American  population  was  less  than  three 
per  cent,  of  the  whole.  Since  the  annexation  of  the  islands, 
however,  this  ratio  has  steadily  risen,  as  it  will  doubtless  con 
tinue  to  do. 


fir 


HAWAIIAN  NATIVES  EATING  POI 


The  bulk  of  the  steam  passenger  and  freight  traffic  between  San 
Francisco  and  Honolulu  is  controlled  by  the  Oceanic  Steamship 
Company,  its  rates  being  $75  cabin  passage  and  $25  steerage,  though 
a  number  of  fine  sailing  vessels  which  make  regular  trips  between 
Port  Townsend  and  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu  with  limited  pas 
senger  accommodations  charge  $40  for  cabin  passage.  The  time  for 
passage  between  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu  by  steamer  is  from  six 
to  seven  days.  Freight  rates  from  San  Francisco  are :  By  steamers, 
$5  per  ton  and  5  per  cent,  primage ;  by  sailing  vessels,  $3  per  ton 
and  5  per  cent,  primage ;  while  the  rates  to  Atlantic  ports  are  from 
$5  to  $7  per  ton,  with  5  per  cent,  primage,  and  the  duration  of  the 


Passen 
ger  and 
Freight 

Tra 


ght 

ffic 


1934 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  ci 


PERIOD 
VIII 


voyage  between  Honolulu  and  New  York  from  89  to  1  34  days.  On 
the  islands  there  are  three  railroads,  which  are  used  principally  in 
carrying  the  products  of  the  plantations  to  the  various  points  of  ship- 
ment,  and  aggregate  about  seventy  miles  in  length. 

The  currency  of  the  islands  is  of  the  same  unit  of  value  as  that 
of  the  United  States.  The  gold  is  all  of  American  mintage,  and 
United  States  silver  and  paper  money  is  in  circulation  and  passes 


GOVERNMENT  BUILDING,  HONOLULU 

at  par.  The  Hawaiian  money  is  paper,  the  paper  being  secured  bjr 
Currency  silver  held  in  reserve.  Banks  keep  two  accounts  with  their  deposi- 
Isiands  tors»  silver  and  gold,  and  checks  are  so  worded  that  the  depositor 
may  specify  the  account  from  which  the  check  is  to  be  paid,  though 
in  case  the  check  does  not  state  in  what  currency  it  is  to  be  paid  the 
law  provides  that  the  holder  may  demand  gold  if  the  amount  is  over 
$10.  The  Hawaiian  silver  money  amounts  to  $1,000,000,  of  which 
$300,000  is  held  by  the  Government  to  secure  a  like  amount  of 
paper.  The  total  money  in  circulation  is  estimated  at  $3,500,000. 
The  rate  of  exchange  is  i  %  per  cent,  on  Eastern  cities  of  the  United 
States,  and  I  per  cent,  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Gold  is  at  a  premium 
of  I  per  cent.  The  annual  internal  taxes  average  $6.48  per  capita; 
the  total  revenue  from  all  sources,  $2,283,070  (in  1 896) ;  expendi- 


CHAP.  CI 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1935 


tures,  $2,137,103;  and  the  public  debt,  $4,101,174,  bearing  interest 
at  5  and  6  per  cent.  Commercial  travellers  are,  under  the  laws  now 
in  force,  required  to  take  out  a  license,  costing  at  Honolulu,  for  the 
island  upon  which  it  is  located,  $570  ;  and  on  each  of  the  other  islands* 
$255. 

The  market  for  all  kinds  of  labor  is  overstocked,  and  it  would  be 
unwise  for  any  one  to  visit  the  islands  with  no  capital  on  the  mere 
chance  of  obtaining  employment,  many  of  those  who  have  so  arrived 
being  compelled  to  return  disappointed.  Wages  on  the  plantations, 
including  house  and  firewood,  or  room  and  board,  range  from  $125 
to  $175  per  month  for  engineers  and  sugar-boilers;  $50  to  $100  per 
month  for  blacksmiths  and  carpenters ;  $40  to  $75  per  month  for 
locomotive  drivers;  $roo  to  $175  per  month  for  bookkeepers;  $30 
to  $40  per  month  for  teamsters.  In  Honolulu  the' rates  are  $5  to 
$6  per  day  for  bricklayers  and  masons,  $2.50  to  $5  per  day  for  car 
penters  and  painters,  and  $3  to  $5  per  day  for  machinists.  Cooks 
receive  from  $3  to  $6  per  week ;  nurses,  house  servants,  and  gar 
deners,  $8  to  $12  per  month.  Retail  prices  of  provisions  are  as 
follows;  hams,  16  to  30  cents  per  pound;  bacon,  16  to  20  cents; 
flour,  $2.60  to  $5  per  100  pounds;  rice,  $3.25  to  $5  per  100  pounds; 
butter,  25  to  50  cents  per  pound;  eggs,  25  to  50  cents  per  dozen; 
and  ice,  1 1-  cents  per  pound. 

The  productions  of  the  islands  are  almost  entirely  a  class  of  arti 
cles  for  which  the  people  of  the  United  States  have  in  the  past  been 
compelled  to  send  money  abroad.  Sugar,  coffee,  tropical  fruits,  and 
rice,  for  which  we  send  outside  the  country  more  than  $200,000,000 
annually,  are  the  chief  productions  of  the  islands,  and  they  may  be 
greatly  increased.  Most  of  the  business  is  in  the  hands  of  Americans 
and  Europeans.  In  1899,  there  were  545,370,537  pounds  of  sugar 
exported.  Two  years  previous,  337, 1 58  pounds  of  coffee  and  5,499,499 
pounds  of  rice  were  exported.  The  exports  to  the  United  States,  for 
the  year  ending  June  30,  1903,  were  valued  at  $26,201,175,  of  which 
$25,310,684  represented  sugar. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OVK 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


Ha 
waiian 
Wages 


Produc 
tions 
of  the 

Islands 


(Droop?  iu  (DubcL, 


CHAPTER    CII 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRA  TION—  1897-1901 
(CONTINUED} 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  (Continued) 
7%<?  Invasion  of  Cuba 

[Authorities:  It  would  be  idle  to  deny  that  we  Americans  have  a  tendency  to  boast. 
fulness,  and  that  at  times  the  spirit  passes  the  limits  of  good  taste  and  possibly  of  strict 
truth  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  ground  for  the  claim  that  we  boast  because  the 
facts  warrant  us  in  doing  so.  Be  that  as  it  may,  no  one  can  read  the  story  of  the  heroism 
of  our  soldiers  and  sailors  in  Cuba,  throughout  the  Santiago  campaign,  without  a  quick 
ening  of  the  pulse  and  a  tingling  of  the  blood,  for  sturdier  bravery,  finer  discipline,  and 
greater  fearlessness  in  the  face  of  deadly  danger  have  never  been  displayed  anywhere. 
Our  soldiers  not  only  faced  a  desperate  foe,  skilled  in  the  treacherous  tactics  of  the  red 
Indian,  but  they  braved  a  flaming  climate,  amid  whose  suffocating  mists  the  most  deadly 
of  diseases  is  ever  brooding,  and  no  hardship  or  peril  that  besets  the  soldier  was  lacking 
in  their  case.  The  regulars,  the  volunteers,  the  "  Rough  Riders,"  the  colored  men,  our 
sailors,  —  all  showed  an  exalted  courage,  the  memory  of  which  must  always  thrill  their 
countrymen  and  make  every  American  proud  of  his  birthright.  The  numerous  accounts 
of  this  remarkable  campaign,  the  official  reports,  and  all  accessible  sources  of  information 
have  been  investigated  and  sifted  in  making  up  the  stirring  record  given  in  the  following 
pages.] 

|HE  landing  of  General  Shafter's  16,000  troops  at 
Daiquiri,  near  Santiago,  was  completed  on  June  23, 
without  accident.  The  Cuban  insurgents  under 
General  Garcia,  numbering  several  thousand,  gave 
great  aid  by  preventing  Spanish  interference.  The 
trail  to  Santiago  was  a  scantily  marked  path,  wind 
ing  up  and  down  hill,  through  swamp  and  forest, 

through   rocky  passes  and  gullies,  and  commanded  by  the  enemy's 

blockhouses  and  intrenchments. 

The  troops  were  provided  with  all  the  impedimenta  for  campaign 

ing.     Each  man  carried  his  rifle  and  cartridges,  bayonet,  pistol,  can- 


.  TOichigna 


CHAP.  CII 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


'937 


teen,  blanket,  poncho,  half  of  a  shelter  tent,  and  rations  for  three 
days.  The  troops  had  made  marches-  in  Florida  with  these  equip 
ments,  and,  as  the  long  procession  entered  the  woods,  all  were  in 
high  spirits  and  looked  upon  the  march  as  a  pleasant  relief  from 
their  long  confinement  in  close  quarters  on  the  transports.  As  they 
advanced,  however,  the  work  became  exhausting  to  the  last  degree. 
The  line  extended  for  miles ;  it  was  continually  climbing  or  descend 
ing;  and  the  sun  beat  down  with  intolerable  fervor.  The  dry  red 
earth  was  ground  into  fine  dust  which  almost  suffocated  the  men,  and 
worked  its  way  into  the  meshes  of  their  clothing,  their  eyes,  ears, 
nostrils,  and  mouths.  Moving  for  most  of  the  distance  between  two 
higher  ranges  of  hills,  not  the  slightest  breeze  could  reach  them,  and 
the  trail  remained  unshaded.  As  a  partial  relief,  they  began  throw 
ing  away  everything  not  absolutely  needed,  until  the  clothing  they 
wore,  their  canteens,  and  their  weapons  were  all  that  was  left.  The 
penalty  for  this  came  at  night,  when  the  fierce  heat  was  succeeded 
by  a  chilly  atmosphere,  and  food  was  scarce ;  but  all  accepted  it  good- 
naturedly,  and  were  as  eager  as  ever  for  the  trying  work  before  them. 
One  of  the  nocturnal  annoyances  was  the  land-crabs,  which  abound 
in  the  woods  and  plains,  and  invaded  the  camp  by  hundreds.  Their 
bodies  are  five  or  six  inches  across,  and  their  claws  have  a  spread  of 
two  feet.  The  noise  made  by  them  in  crawling  through  the  bush 
and  grass  is  often  mistaken  for  the  stealthy  approach  of  an  enemy. 
"  It  is  a  startling  sensation,"  said  one  of  the  men,  "  to  be  awakened 
at  night  by  one  of  these  things,  as  big  as  a  wash-basin,  and  all  head 
and  legs,  straddlingm  across  your  face." 

Colonel  John  H.  Church  gives  the  distribution  of  our  troops  as 
follows :  "  The  army  of  invasion  comprised  the  Fifth  Army  Corps 
under  Major- General  W.  R.  Shafter,  and  was  composed  of  two  divi 
sions  of  infantry,  two  brigades  of  cavalry,  and  two  brigades  of  light 
and  four  batteries  of  heavy  artillery.  General  Lawton  commanded 
the  Second  Division,  operating  on  the  right,  where  the  capture  of  El 
Caney  was  his  principal  task,  and  had  the  brigades  of  General  Chaf- 
fee,  the  Seventh,  Twelfth,  and  Seventeenth  Infantry;  General  Lud- 
low,  Eighth  and  Twenty-second  Infantry,  and  Second  Massachusetts 
Volunteers;  and  Colonel  Miles,  First,  Fourth,  and  Twenty-fifth  In 
fantry.  In  the  centre,  General  Kent  commanded  the  First  Division, 
consisting  of  General  Hawkins'  brigade,  the  Sixth  and  Sixteenth 
Infantry,  and  Seventy-first  New  York  Volunteers ;  Colonel  Pearson's 


PERIOD 
VIII 


COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


The 
Advance 


Disposi 
tion  of 
Troops 


1938  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 

PERIOD  brigade,  the  Second,  Tenth,  and  Twenty-first  Infantry  ;    and  Colonel 

—  Wikoff's  brigade,  the  Ninth,  Thirteenth,  and  Twenty-fourth  Infan- 

E^PAONNSION  try-     General  Wheeler's  cavalry  division  contained  two  brigades  — 


Colonel  Sumner's,  the  Third,  Sixth,  and  Ninth  Cavalry  ;  and  Colonel 
Young's,  the  First  and  Tenth  Cavalry  and  First  Volunteer  Cavalry. 
The  cavalry  operated  at  both  the  two  principal  points  of  attack,  but 
fought  dismounted,  no  horses  having  been  shipped.  At  the  end  of 
the  first  day's  fighting,  General  Kent  was  reinforced  by  General 
Bates  with  the  Third  and  Twentieth  Infantry,  coming  up  from  the 
coast.  On  the  left,  General  Duffield  engaged  Aguadores  with  the 
Thirty-third  and  part  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Michigan,  and  a  force 
of  about  two  thousand  Cubans.  Grimes'  and  Best's  batteries  of 
artillery  were  with  the  centre,  and  Capron's  and  Parkhouse's  .were 
with  General  Lawton  on  the  right.  General  Shafter,  General  Joseph 
Wheeler,  our  old  antagonist  in  fhe  Civil  War,  and  General  Young 
were  all  too  ill  to  be-in  the  field,  though  General  \Vheeler  did  go  out 
in  an  ambulance.  Headquarters  were  at  Sevilla." 

The  night  before  starting,  General  Young,  commanding  a  brigade 
of  General  Wheeler's  corps,  told  Colonel  Leonard  Wood,  of  the 
"  Rough  Riders,"  forming  the  First  United  States  Volunteer  Cav- 
airy,  he  had  learned  that  the  Spaniards  had  taken  a  strong  position 
beyond  Sevilla,  near  the  junction  of  the  trail  over  the  mountains  to 
Siboney  and  the  valley  road,  and  were  confident  of  administering  a 
decisive  check  to  the  column  advancing  against  Santiago.  "  It  looks 
as  if  our  brigade  will  fight  the  first  battle  of  the  war  to-morrow," 
added  General  Young. 

The  Colonel  Wood  and  his  Rough  Riders  began  climbing  the  hill  at 

March  Siboney  at  sunrise,  and  the  Tenth  Cavalry  (colored),  also  dis 
mounted,  started  along  the  valley  road  a  little  later.  Some  distance 
behind  the  Rough  Riders  marched  the  First,  through  the  same  chaos 
of  hills,  ridges,  gullies,  and  mountain-peaks.  The  heat  became  so 
terrific  that  the  men  suffered  intensely.  Imitating  the  soldiers  on 
the  day  before,  they  threw  aside  everything  that  could  be  spared  ;  and 
once  a  considerable  halt  was  made  to  give  them  rest  and  time  to 
recover  from  their  exhaustion. 

The  colored  men  were  not  only  inured  to  the  fierce  climate, 
but  had  an  easier  road  N  to  travel.  They  were  at  the  bottom  of 
a  valley,  while  the  Rough  Riders  were  following  one  of  the 
ridges  that  are  numerous  in  that  part  of  the  island.  On  both 


CHAP,  cn          McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1939 


sides  was  elevated  ground  overlooking  the  ridge,   and  a  high  hill      PERIOD 
was  in  front. 


The  concealed  Spaniards  had  ranged  themselves  in  the  form  of  a 


OUR 


1898 


THE   FIGHT  AT  SIBONEY 


horseshoe,  so  that  a  force  advancing  along  the  ridge  could  be  fired      The 


upon  from  three  directions.     Dense  thickets  were  on  both  sides  of  the 


Enemy 


1940 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Opening 
of  the 
Fight 


trail,  and  were  studded  with  the  giant  cactus,  known  by  the  expres 
sive  name  of  the  Spanish  bayonet. 

Captain  Allyn  K.  Capron,  of  the  volunteers,\vas  riding  with  a  small 
force  a  little  way  in  advance  of  the  main  body,  when-  he  discovered 
the  presence  of  the  Spaniards  in  force  on  a  hill  to  the  right.  J  le 
halted,  and  sent  back  word  to  Colonel  Wood,  who  ordered  his  men 

to  deploy  on  both  sides 
of  the  trail,  and  warned 
them  to  maintain  strict 
silence. 

Before  the  regiment 
was  well  deployed,  the 
sharp  rattle  of  musketry 
sounded  from  cover  on 
the  left  front,  the  fire 
being  directed  against 
Troop  L,  which  was  in 
advance.  It  has  been 
said  that  the  Rough 
Riders  anticipated  this 
firing  by  a  few  seconds;, 
but  there  is  some  doubt 
on  the  point.  Troop  L 
instantly  replied  with 
great  coolness  and  pre 
cision.  The  bushes  to 
the  left  were  so  dense 
that  not  an  enemy  was 
visible ;  but  on  the  right 

they  were  observed \in  a  small  clearing  a  mile  distant,  and  Troops  K, 
G,  and  A  charged  through  the  undergrowth,  firing  rapidly  as  they 
ran. 

The  Tenth  Cavalry  had  hurried  forward  upon  hearing  the  firing, 
and  dashed  up  the  hill,  firing  with  the  skill  and  deliberation  they  had 
learned  in  their  Indian  campaigns.  Their  work  was  of  the  highest 
order,  though  among  the  veterans  were  many  who  had  never  been 
under  fire  before. 

The  heaviest  work  on  the  left  of  the  Rough  Riders  was  done  by 
Troops  D  and  F, — E  and  B  being  at  the  rear  of  L.  The  firing  had 


COL.  LEONARD  WOOD 


COPYHIGHT  1898. 


OPENING  OF  THE  BATTLE  AT  LAS  QUASIMAS 

FROM   THE    ORIGINAL    DRAWING   BY   J.    STEEPLE    DAVIS 


1942 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


'PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION' 

1898 


Desper 
ate 
Fighting 


Defeat 
of  the 
Span 
iards 


continued  but  a  short  time  when  Hamilton  Fish  was  instantly  killed 
and  Captain  Capron  mortally  wounded.  It  is  said  that  the  latter 
shot  two  Spaniards  with  his  revolver,  and  was  on  the  point  of  firing 
again,  when  he  fell.  Observing  the  confusion  about  him,  he  said : 

"  Don't  mind  me,  boys,  but  do  your  best." 

Fish  was  firing  as  fast  as  he  could  load,  and  seemed  to  be  revel 
ling  in  the  fight.  No  soldier  could  have  died  a  braver  death  than  he. 

It  was  thus  that  the  famous  Rough  Riders  received  their  baptism 
of  fire,  which  could  not  have  been  more  trying,  for  their  enemies  were 
invisible,  and  used  smokeless  powder  with  their  deadly  Mauser  rifles. 
Some  of  the  cowboys  were  so  exasperated  at  their  disadvantage  thct 
they  cursed. 

"  Don't  curse,"  said  Colonel  Wood,  "  fight !" 

And  none  could  have  done  better.  Several  times  during  the 
engagement  the  order  was  given  to  cease  firing,  and  it  was  obeyed  on 
the  instant.  The  part  of  the  Rough  Riders  in  the  battle  was  com 
pleted  by  a  charge  up  the  hill  on  the  left  which  sent  the  Spaniards 
flying  in  a  panic.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Roosevelt  led  them  in  person, 
keeping  well  in  advance,  and  inspiring  all  by  his  daring.  Carried  away 
by  his  ardor,  and  the  yells  of  his  boys  behind  him,  he  snatched  up  a 
rifle  as  he  ran,  and  fired  shot  after  shot  into  the  blockhouse  at  the 
top  of  the.  hill,  which  was  their  destination,  and  from  which  a  galling 
fire  was  poured  into  the  charging  troopers. 

The  Spaniards  had  seen  what  they  never  saw  before.  Had  their 
enemies  been  Cubans,  they  would  have  fallen  back  after  receiving  a 
withering  volley, — and  the  course  of  the  Spaniards  would  have  been 
the  same  under  a  reversal  of  the  circumstances ;  but  the  Americans, 
instead  of  retreating,  dashed  yelling  forward  with  greater  impetu 
osity  than  before.  The  enemy  did  not  wait,  but,  scrambling  out  of 
the  blockhouse,  ran  for  their  lives  into  the  brush.  Seventeen  dead 
bodies  were  stretched  in  and  about  the  building. 

Meanwhile,  the  rout  was  completed  on  the  right  and  in  the  front 
by  the  Tenth  Cavalry  and  the  First.  The  enemy,  who  must  have 
lost  fully  50,  explained  their  defeat  in  Santiago  by  declaring  that 
they  had  been  fighting  the  whole  American  army,  and  that  the  more 
they  fired  into  it  the  harder  the  Yankees  chased  them. 

The  Americans  engaged  numbered  about  1,500,  while  the  Span 
ish  force  has  been  estimated  at  from  2,500  to  4,000.  Had  the  posi 
tions  been  reversed,  with  the  numbers  unchanged,  the  Americans 


COPYRIGHT    1898. 


ROUGH  RIDERS  AT  LAS  GUASIMAS 

FROM    THE   ORIGINAL    DRAWING    BY   J.    STEEPLE    DAVIS 


1944 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


would  easily  have  held  their  own.  The  loss  of  our  soldiers  was  16 
killed  and  about  40  wounded,  6  of  the  killed  belonging  to  the  Rough 
Riders.  Captain  Allyn  Capron  died  of  fever  at  his  home  in  Vir 
ginia,  September  18,  1898.  His  father,  Captain  Allyn  Capron,  was 
killed  while  gallantly  fighting  at  Churubusco,  Mexico.  Thus  three 
Patriotic  Captain  Allyn  Caprons  gave  their  lives  for  their  country,  and  a 
brother  of  the  youngest  died  in  military  service  during  the  last  war. 


COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Family 


Santiago 
and  its  . 

Sur 
round 
ings 


STORM  AND  BATTLE  AT  SAN  JUAN 

A  description  has  already  been  given  of  Santiago  and  its  sur 
roundings.  It  will  be  recalled  that  it  is  six  miles  from  the  sea  on 
the  bay,  and  is  surrounded  by  high  mountains,  rising  almost  perpen 
dicularly  from  the  water.  The  city  lies  between  the  first  and  second 
ridges."  Directly  south  of  Santiago,  and  distant  two  and  a  half  miles 
therefrom,  is  Aguadores,  while  on  the  crest  of  a  hill  southeast  of 
Santiago  is  San  Juan,  and  three  miles  northeast  is  El  Caney. 

Impressed  by  the  formidable  character  of  the  defences  of  the 
city,  General  Shafter  was  inclined  to  resort  to  regular  siege  opera 
tions,  but  yielded  to  the  arguments  in  favor  of  a  joint  assault  by  the 


CHAP,  en          McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1945 


fleet  and  army  on  Aguadores,  and  a  military  attack  alone  on  El  Caney 
and  San  Juan  hill,  which  latter  lies  east  of  the  eminence  on  which        — 
the  small  town  of  San  Juan  stands.     It  was  hoped  to  gain  help  from    E^^MOM 
the  occasional  bombarding  by  the  fleet.     By  reference  to  the  map,       l898 
the  reader*  can  understand  the  account  of  the  military  operations. 

General    Lawton   and   his  forces   were  sent  north  to  attack  El 
Caney.     General  Wheeler  bxeing  ill,  his  cavalry  under  Sumner  led       The 
the  centre  of  the  line  up  the  valley  overlooked  by  the  town  of  San  Attacked 
Juan.     General  Dufneld  remained  at  the  seaside  to  attack,  with  the 
aid  of  the  fleet  and  the  Michigan  volunteers,  the  town  of  Aguadores. 
The  reserve  included  the  Rough  Riders,  the  Seventy-first  New  York, 
and  Colonel  Wheeler's  Massachusetts  Volunteers. 

Before  daybreak,  on  Friday  morning,  July  I,  General  Lawton  was 
on  the  El  Caney  road,  General  Duffield  was  at  the  railway  near  the 
(  rest,  while  General  Wheeler,  despite  his  illness,  rode  up  the  valley 
£  ad  planted  Captain  Grimes'  battery  of  four  pieces  within  a  mile,  and 
a  half  of  the  Santiago  forts.  Colonel  Miles'  brigade  supported 
General  Wheeler  in  the  centre  ;  General  Chaffee's  brigade,  supported 
li-y  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ludlow,  led  General  Lawton's  division,  and 
Major  Capron's  battery  took  position  on  a  bluff  within  a  mile  and 
a  half  of  El  Caney.  He  fired  the  first  gun,  and  opened  the  battle  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  first  shot  was  followed  by  another 
and  another,  whose  boom  swung  back  and  forth  between  the  mountain 
walls  until  it  sank  into  silence.  There  was  no  reply;  and  believing 
the  Spaniards  were  retreating,  a  thousand  Cubans,  led  by  Garcia  and 
Castillo,  moved  hastily  along  the  road  from  El  Pozo  to  El  Caney  to 
head  them  off.  They  met  them,  and,  after  a  sharp  fight,  drove  them 
back  to  El  Caney. 

By  this  time,  Major  Capron's  battery  —  commanded  by  the  father 
of  Captain  Capron,  of  the  Rough  Riders  —  had  fired  more  than  twenty  Work  or 
shots,  without  receiving  a  response.      He  inflicted  considerable  dam-    Battery5 
age  on  the  town,  but  did  not  injure  the  fortifications.      He  was  still 
firing,  when  the  screech  of  a  shell  was  heard,  followed  by  several 
others.     They  came  from  the  Reina  Mercedes  battery  ;  but,  missing 
Capron's  battery,  struck  a  house  some  distance  away,  and  wounded 
about  thirty  Cuban  and  American  soldiers.     The  duel  lasted  an  hour, 
the  Spanish  showing  greatly  improved  marksmanship. 

Meanwhile,  .Grimes'  battery  was  pounding  away  from  the  hill 
below  San  Juan  ;  but  the  shots  fired  in  reply  passed  too  high  to  do 


COPYRIGHT    1898, 


ACTION 
FROM    THE   ORIGINAL    DRAWING   BY   J.    STEEPLE    DAVIS 


CHAP.  CII 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1947 


harm.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  the  enemy's  battery  was  silenced, 
and  the  Tenth  and  First  Regiments  and  the  Rough  Riders  were 
ordered  to  make  a  detour  and  take  the  hill,  where  none  of  the  Span 
iards  could  be  seen,  though  hundreds  were  known  to  be  in  conceal 
ment. 

The  Rough  Riders  passed  through  the  gulch  to  the  slope,  and 
were  met  by  a  fierce  fire  from  the  blockhouse,  while  the  invisible 
sharpshooters  kept  up  a  vicious  fusillade  that  brought  down  more 
than  one  brave  man.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Roosevelt  rode  as  usual  at 
the  head  of  his  troops,  beside  which  the  Tenth  Cavalry  were  ranged. 

The  fire  became  more  deadly,  and  the  Rough  Riders  dodged  be 
hind  trees  to  escape  the  storm  of  bullets.  This  partial  screen  van 
ished  when  they  reached  the  open  hillside,  where  there  was  no  protec 
tion  at  all.  Shot,  shells,  and  bullets  seemed  to  threaten  annihilation, 
when  the  order  rang  out,  "  Forward,  charge !"  Waving  his  sword, 
Roosevelt  led  across  the  open  and  up  the  hill,  where  it  lookecFas  if 
not  a  man  could  escape.  But  all  were  running,  the  colored  troopers 
keeping  even  pace,  and  not  a  man  flinching.  They  were  dropping 
every  second,  but  there  was  no  staying  the  rush,  with  Roosevelt  still 
far  in  the  lead,  shouting,  waving  his  sword,  and  encouraging  his 
troops  by  his  intrepidity  and  daring. 

The  Spaniards  were  amazed ;  and  in  the  hope  of  checking  the 
furious  charge,  stepped  into  view  to  take  more  affective  aim.  On 
the  instant,  the  colored  men  began  toppling  them  over  like  ten-pins ; 
but  where  one  enemy  felt,  two  seemed  to  leap  into  his  place,  and 
the  firing  became  more  murderous  than  before.  Roosevelt  was  still 
shouting  and  waving  his  sword,  when  his  horse  lunged  forward  and 
rolled  over  dead ;  but  the  skilled  rider  landed  on  his  feet ;  and  calling 
to  his  men  to  follow,  ran  up  the  hill,  the  colored  men  shooting  all 
the  time  with  marvellous  skill. 

Finally  the  top  of  the  hill  was  reached  and  the  awful  gauntlet 
ended.  The  Spaniards  in  the  trenches  still  could  have  killed  every 
man ;  but  they  were  awed  by  the  wonderful  daring  of  the  Yankees, 
and,  hesitating  hardly  an  instant,  made  off  pell-mell,  with  the  Amer 
icans  coolly  picking  them  off  at  every  step. 

Thus  was  the  position  of  San  Juan  won  and  the  blockhouse  cap 
tured.  The  colored  men  cheered  the  Riders,  and  the  Riders  cheered 
them,  and  the  troops  across  the  gulch  cheered  both,  whereupon  the 
heroes  went  at  it  again. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


Attack 
on  the 
Block 
house 


Ameri 
can 
Daring 


1948 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 


Fully  one-half  of  the  Rough  Riders  had  been  wounded,  and  the 
position  was  still  dangerous  because  of  the  sharpshooters.  The 
tretiches  were  found  full  of  dead  Spaniards. 


1898 


FIRST  FLAG  OF  TRUCE  AFTER  THE  BATTLE  OF  EL,  CANEY 


The  first  one  to  enter  the  American  lines  under  a  flag  of  truce  was 
a  rotund  Spanish  "  Brother  of  the  Christian  Faith,"  who  appeared 


CHAP.   CII 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1949 


riding  on  a  mule  and  protected  from  the  sun  by  an  enormous  um 
brella.  His  message  was  unimportant,  and  had  no  effect  upon  the 
military  operations. 

Meanwhile  General  Lawton  was  pushing  hurriedly  toward  El  Caney. 
He  received  a  sharp  fire  from  the  enemy  in  the  intrenchments.  The 
men  on  the  right  opened  out,  and  using  the  trees  and  bushes  for  pro 
tection,  kept  up  a  continual  fire,  the  force  steadily  approaching  the 


WITH  THE  ARTILLERY  AT  SAN  JUAN 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


iards 


outside  line  of  trenches.     Capron's  artillery  struck  a  stone  fort  in 
front  of  the  town  repeatedly,  and  drove  out  the  enemy,  but  they 
returned,  since  the  guns  were  not  heavy  enough  to  do  great  damage.      Fierce 
Then  the  force  was  divided,  and,  entering  the  town,  faced  a  fierce       °he 
attack  from  the  Spaniards,  who  seemed  to  be  hidden  everywhere. 
From  the  breastworks  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town  the  fire 
was  so  galling  that  the  Americans  lay  down  to  escape  it;   but  the 
enemy  had  their  range,  and  killed  and  wounded  many  while  lying  flat 
on  their  faces. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  decimated  troops  discovered  the  bat 
tery.     Then  the  rifles  picked  off  every  man  who  showed  himself,  and 

the  frightful  guns  became  mute.     At  this  juncture,  Major  Caprort 
126 


1950 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


PERIOD 


OUR 


1898 


silenced  the  fort  once  more,  and  the  order  was  shouted  for  the  Amer 
icans  to  charge.     Breaking  into  yells,  they  were  on  the  heels  of  their 
officers  as  they  swept  up  the  hill  and  into  the  fort,  which  was  cap 
tured  with  hardly 
a  struggle. 

A  single  block 
house  remained, 
and  Captain 
Clarke  was  or 
dered  by  General 
Chaffee  to  take  it 
with  one  com- 
pany.  In  the 
face  of  a  wither 
ing  fire  they  leap 
ed  up  and  over 
the  intrench- 
ments,  and  the 
terrified  Defend 
ers  fled,  all  the 
s  t  r  eets  leading 
out  of  the  town 
being  choked 
with  the  panic- 
s  t  r  i  c  ken  mob, 
more  than  a  hun 
dred  of  whom 
were  made  pris- 

QEN.  A.  R.  CHAFFEE,   U.  S.  A  OHCrS 

Pushing  The  Seventy-first  New  York  was  following  General  Lawton  toward 
Santiago  El  Caney,  when  they  found  the  road  blocked  by  the  Twenty-fourth 
Regiment,  who  were  using  it  as  a  firing-line.  Wheeling  to  the  left, 
the  Seventy-first  joined  the  Sixth  and  Sixteenth  regiments,  all  three 
belonging  to  the  First  Division  of  the  Fifth  Army  Corps.  They 
were  pushing  toward  Santiago,  and  Colonel  Kent,  of  the  Sixteenth, 
placed  a  company  of  the  Seventy-first  stragglers  as  pickets  along  the 
road,  which  was  guarded  by  Captain  M.  A.  Rafferty,  of  Company  F, 
Seventy-first  Regiment. 

A  mile  distant  on  a  hill  was  a  Spanish  blockhouse  which  kept  up 


ffT 


CHAP,  en          McKINLEY^S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1051 


a  galling  fire,  and  it  was  determined  to  capture  it.     The  Sixteen4-!!      PERIOD 
were  sent  in  advance  as  skirmishers,  with  the  Sixth  on  the  left  and       —  ^ 
the  Seventy-first  on  the  right  to  support  the  Sixteenth.      The  right    £2™™^ 
of  the  line  of  skirmishers  was  held  by  Captain  Rafferty's  company.          I898 

The  first  half-mile  was  wooded,  but  the  last  half  was  open  and 
without  the  slightest  protection.     A  part  of  this  was  crossed  by  the 
skirmishers,  when  the  Spaniards,  who  had  waited  until  the  men  were 
inextricably  entrapped,  opened  a  furious  fire.    .The  scene  that  fol 
lowed  suggested  in  its  way  the  historic  charge  of  Pickett  at  Gettys 
burg.      As  the  Seventy-first  charged  into  the  open,  the  fire  of  shrap-    Bravery 
m*l  tore  fearful  gaps  in  their  ranks,  and  the  rifle-bullets  kept  men   seventy 
continually  dropping  until  it  looked  as  if  the  whole  force  would  be       First 
annihilated.     But  with  unshakable  coolness  and  heroism  they  "  closed      York 
up,"  and,  without  faltering,  swept  forward  into  the  merciless  fire  to 
the  aid  of  the  Sixteenth.      The  field  was  not  half  crossed  when  more 
than  seventy  men  of  the  Seventy-first  were  killed  and  wounded. 

Directly  ahead  were  the  flaming  breastworks,  with  not  an  enemy  in 
S'-g;ht,  but  with  the  fire  growing  more  deadly  every  minute.  Still 
running,  the  men  headed  straight  for  the  works,  and  directly  behind 
them  dashed  the  cheering  Sixth,  with  their  ranks  continually  shat 
tered,  and  the  firing  increasing  in  its  dreadful  intensity.  When 
nearly  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  with  Captain  Rafferty's  company  leading 
the  Americans  caught  sight  of  the  enemy  and  returned  the  destruc 
tive  volleys.  Leaping  into  the  trenches,  they  drove  the  Spaniards  p  . 
out  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  shooting  them  down  as  they  fled  in  of  the 
every  direction,  and  throwing  out  the  dead  and  wounded  from  the  iards 
pits,  which  were  occupied  by  the  victors.  The  sharpshooters  and 
artillery,  however,  made  the  place  so  hot  that  at  the  end  of  an  hour 
Captain  Rafferty  withdrew  over  the  crest  and  part  way  down  the  hill, 
where  he  was  out  of  range.  Being  reinforced,  the  men  crawled  to  a 
position  from  which  they  could  fire  on  the  Spaniards  on  the  other 
hill.  These  were  driven  into  their  trenches,  and  the  Americans  held 
their  position  for  nearly  an  hour;  the  Seventy-first,  Sixteenth,  and 
Sixth  regiments  moving  around  to  the  right,  where  in  the  face  of 
another  destructive  fire  they  charged  up  the  second  hill,  drove  the 
enemy  out  of  their  trenches,  and  captured  a  stand  of  colors  and  a 
number  of  prisoners.  The  Spaniards  re-formed  and  made  repeated 
attempts  to  recapture  their  position,  but  were  repulsed  in  every  in 
stance  with  heavy  losses. 


1952 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


PERIOD 
VIII 


OUR 


Having  occupied  other  trenches,  the  Americans  drove  them  forth 
and  pressed  them  remorselessly,  until  their  dead  and  wounded  were 
tFANsioN  stretcned  on  tne'  ground  in  every  direction.      Having  a  woful  lot  of 
l898       their  own  wounded  to  look  after,  the  assailants  were  bearing  them 
off  the  field,  when  the  Spaniards  deliberately  fired  upon  them  again 
and  again,  but  fortunately  inflicted  little  harm. 

The  enemy  had  planted  a  blockhouse  and  dug  intrenchments  on 
the  top  of  every  elevation  surrounding  Santiago,  and  the  defenders 


ARTILLERY  DIGGING  GUN-PITS  AFTER  BATTLE 


Furious  fought  with  the  fury  of  desperation.  The  Ninth  Cavalry  set  out  to 
ing  capture  one  of  these  on  the  bank  of  the  San  Juan  River,  at  the  foot  of 
the  San  Juan  hill,  at  the  same  time  that  the  Seventy-first  Regiment  was 
fighting  so  heroically.  Four  troops  of  the  Second  Squadron  took 
position  at  the  left  of  the  advance,  while  the  First  Brigade  of  the 
cavalry  division  passed  in  sight  of  a  number  of  blockhouses.  The 
men  became  separated  in  the  jungle,  but  finally  came  together  on 
the  right  of  the  Second  Brigade,  where  they  wer.e  discovered  by 
the  enemy,  who  opened  upon  them  with  Catling  guns  and  rifles. 
The  Americans  promptly  returned  the  fire,  and  adopted  Indian 


CHAP.  CII 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1953 


tactics,  doing  so  with  such  effect  that  the  Spaniards  were  de 
moralized. 

All  this  time  the  Ninth  Cavalry  were  pushing  steadily  forward. 
About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  the  First  and  Tenth  Cavalry  and 
the  Rough  Riders  came  up, — all  ready  for  the  most  dangerous  work 
that  cpuld  be  cut  out  for  them.  The  Ninth,  under  Colonel  Taylor, 
flanked  the  Spaniards  on  the  left,  between  the  troops  and  the  river. 
The  dense  jungle  reached  to  their  shoulders,  and  our  men  pressed 
through  it  in  the  face  of  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy,  who  had 
rallied  and  were  doing  terrific  execution  again. 

Suddenly  amid  the  frightful  turmoil,  some  one  emitted  the  "  rebel 
yell," — the  same  old  war-cry  that  had  nerved  the  boys  in  gray,  more 
than  a  generation  before,  at  Gettysburg,  Chattanooga,  and  the 
defences  of  Richmond.  Every  man  joined  in  the  inspiriting  yell, 
plunging  through  the  jungle  across  the  stream  and  up  the  other  side, 
where'^they  drove  the  Spaniards  out  of  the  blockhouses.  From  an 
adjoining  hill  the  enemy  opened  fire  with  heavy  artillery,  which  was 
well  aimed ;  but  the  ardor  of  the  Americans  was  at  such  a  pitch  that 
nothing  could  dislodge  them. 

Meanwhile  Lieutenant  Maxfield  made  an  effective  reconnoissance 
from  a  balloon,  held  to  the  earth  by  a  rope,  while  the  shots  whistled 
about  him;  and  soon  after  General  Hawkins,  with  the  Thir.d  and 
Sixth  Cavalry  and  the  Thirteenth  and  Sixteenth  Infantry,  advanced 
toward  the. hill.  The  second  in  line  were  the  Rough  Riders  and 
Seventh,  Ninth,  and  Tenth  regiments.  The  hill  was  like  the  roof  of 
a  house,  and  heavier  and  better-aimed  guns  awaited  the  assault,  for 
this  position  was  the  principal  defence  overlooking  Santiago. 

When  General  Hawkins  called  upon  his  men  to  charge,  the  grandest 
exhibition  of  the  day  followed.  Again  the  exultant  yells  rang  out  as 
they  bounded  forward,  with  the  fearful  fire  tearing  ghastly  gaps  in  the 
ranks,  but  with  not  a  man  faltering  or  flinching.  General  Hawkins 
and  his  officers  led,  with  Company  E  of  the  Sixteenth  Infantry  far 
thest  in  advance.  Hardly  had  a  start  been  made,  when  Captain  Mc- 
Farland  was  killed.  Lieutenant  Carey  leaped  into  his  place,  and 
shouted,  "  Come  on,  Company  E !"  and  a  few  minutes  later  he  was 
shot  dead.  But  nothing  could  stop  the  Americans;  and  General 
Hawkins,  waving  his  sword  and  continually  shouting,  was  in  advance 
of  all.  The  bullets  came  from  the  sides  as  well  as  the  front;  but  our 
countrymen  swept  up  the  hill  like  a  cyclone,  bounded  among  the  Span- 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


The 
"  Rebel 
Yell " 


Gallant 
Work 


CHAP.  CII 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1955 


iards,  and  those  who  did  not  flee  were  bayoneted  where  they  stood 
fighting  with  irrepressible  fury.     The  Stars  and  Stripes  was  planted 
on  the  hill-top  by  Captain  Cavanagh  amid  enthusiastic  cheering. 
The  hill  of  San  Juan  was  carried,  though  the  cost  was  a  sad  one, 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAI. 
EXPANSION 

1898 


GETTING  ARTILLERY  INTO  POSITION 


and  no  time  was  lost  in  strengthening  the  position.  A  stone  house 
remained  defiant,  and  again  the  Spaniards  fired  upon  the  litters  upon 
which  the  wounded  were  carried  off  with  the  Red  Cross  displayed 


ARTILLERY  IN  ACTION 


above  them.  Among  the  killed  was  Captain  O'Neill,  of  the  Rough 
Riders,  while  Colonel  Liscomb,  of  the  Twenty-fourth.  Regiment,  was 
badly  wounded. 

Admiral  Cervera's  ships  in  the  harbor  occasionally  threw  a  shell 
into  the  hill,  but  could  do  little  through  fear  of  injuring  their-  own 


Firing 

on  the 

Red 

Cross 


1956 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  c*: 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Ameri 
can  Re 
inforce 
ments 


Wonder 
ful 

Marks 
manship 


men.  The  total  losses  of  the  Americans  were  given  as  231  killed, 
and  1,364  wounded  and  missing. 

It  has  been  stated  that  Gerferal  Duffield  remained  near  Aguadores 
at  the  seaside  to  help  the  fleet.  The  river  and  railway  behind  the 
town  run  through  a  gulch,  on  one  side  of  which  bristled  batteries, 
while  a  masonry  fort  was  on  the  other  side,  a  half-mile  from  shore. 

Early  in  the  day  the  New  York  steamed  forward  from  the  Santiago 
squadron  wvth  the  Suwanee  and  Gloucester  a  short  distance  to  the  rear. 
Duffield  and  his  men  arrived  on  a  railway  train,  which  halted  a  mile 
east  of  the  bridge  that  had  been  destroyed  by  the  Spaniards.  The 
Michigan  men,  led  by  Cuban  guides,  marched  up  the  track.  The 
Suwanee  now  moved  in  ahead  of  the  flagship,  and  communication 
was  established  between  the  flagship  and  army. 

Another  body  of  troops,  piloted  by  Cubans,  started  inland,  and 
firing  was  soon  afterward  heard.  The  Gloucester  dropped  three  shells 
into  one  of  the  rifle-pits,  on  the  hill  back  and  to  the  east,  and  the 
Suwanee  and  New  York  opened  fire.  The  second  shot  gave  the 
Suwanee  the  range  of  the  fort,  and  the  New  York  fired  with  the 
accuracy  of  a  rifle.  The  shore  batteries  were  struck  repeatedly,  and 
every  shell  seemed  to  kill  and  cause  widespread  destruction. 

At  the  corner  of  the  fort  floated  the  large  Spanish  flag.  One  of 
Commander  Delehanty's  shells  struck  at  the  base  of  the  staff,  which 
tilted  forward  but  did  not  fall.  The  order  to  cease  firing  was  given 
at  this  moment,  but  Delehanty  signalled  to  the  New  York  for  per 
mission  to  knock  down  the  flag.  "  Yes,"  signalled  back  Admiral 
Sampson,  "  if  you  can  do  it  in  three  shots." 

The  other  ships  became  interested  in  the  attempt,  and  officers  and 
crew  watched  proceedings.  The  distance  between  the  Suwanee  and 
the  fort  was  a  mile.  Lieutenant  Blue  carefully  aimed  the  4-inch 
gun  and  fired.  A  moment  later  the  crew  burst  into  cheering,  for  the 
shot  had  split  the  banner  in  two ;  but  the  streamers  still  fluttered  in 
the  breeze. 

The  second  shot  sent  a  cloud  of  debris  flying  from  the  base  of 
the  staff,  which  retained  its  tilted  position.  Only  one  shot  was  left, 
and  Delehanty  and  Blue  took  their  time.  Once  more  a  puff  of  smoke 
darted  out  from  the  side  of  the  Suwanee,  and  the  shell,  curving  far 
over  in  the  sunshine,  exploded  at  the  foot  of  the  staff,  which  tum 
bled  forward  with  the  flag  in  the  dust. 

"  Well  done !"  signalled  Admiral  Sampson ;    and  the  crews  of  all 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  en 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


the  ships  cheered  to  the  echo,  the  warships'   sirens  joining  in  the 
applause. 

Fire  being  discontinued  at  Aguadores,  the  New  York  sent  a  num 
ber  of  8-inch  shells  over  the  gully  into  Santiago,  where  they  inflicted 
much  damage.  The  Oregon  did  the  same,  the  firing  being  kept  up  for 

forty  minutes.  It  was 
marksmanship  like  this 
which  brought  victory  to 
the  American  fleets. 

When  night  closed  in, 
our  army  was  intrenched 
around  the  city.  Picket- 
firing  continued,  and  a 
part  of  the  wounded  were 
carried,  while  others 
limped  to  Siboney,  where 
they  received  attention 
from  the  physicians  and 
Red  Cross  nurses,  who 
had  been  landed  from  the 
steamer  State  of  Tex.as. 

Early  on  Saturday 
morning  the  Spaniards, 
made  repeated  and  des 
perate  efforts  to  recapture; 
San  Juan  hill,  but  were: 
driven  back  with  heavy 

loss,   being    finally  forced    upon   the    third    intrenchments.      Their 
sharpshooters,  however,  continued  their  annoying  work,  and  prevented 
the  planting  of  a  battery  to  dislodge  them.      The   Gloucester,  New 
York,  Newark,   Indiana,  Oregon,  Iowa,  Massachusetts,   Texas,  Brook 
lyn,  and  Vixen  formed  in  battle-line  in  the  order  named,  the  flagship 
opening  the  bombardment  at  ten  minutes  to  six  o'clock.      When  it 
banhnent  ceased,  tne  batteries  to  the  cast  and  west  of  the  harbor  had  been 
;'1enced,  and  huge  yawning  holes  had  been  knocked  into  Morro  Castle, 
while  the  Punta  Gorda  battery,  behind  Morro,  was  completely  wrecked. 
The  administration  at  Washington  was  impressed  by  the  fact  that 
General    Shafter  needed   reinforcements   to  carry  through   his  cam 
paign  to  a  quick  and  decisive  success,  and  it  was  determined  that  he 
should  have  them  with  the  least  possible  delay. 


A  CUBAN  CONTINGENT  ON  THE  MARCH 


A 

Naval 
Bom- 


Ventura." 
(Bmdo* 


CHAPTER    CIII 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION— 1897-1901 
(CONTINUED} 

OUR  WA'R  WITH  SPAIN  (Continued) 

Decisive  JS/aval  Work 

[Authorities:  Once  more  our  navy  plays  its  decisive  part  in  the  war  for  the  libera* 
tion  of  Cuba.  The  Spanish  fleet  in  Santiago  harbor  in  trying  to  escape  is  destroyed 
with  the  crushing  completeness  of  the  disaster  to  her  sister  battleships  in  Manila  Bay  two 
months  before,  and  what  was  believed  to  be  a  formidable  menace  to  our  own  navy  and 
our  seaboard  cities  proves  to  be  only  a  broken  reed  for  the  decaying  dynasty  across  the 
Atlantic.  It  is  an  impressive  illustration  of  the  superiority  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  over  the 
Latin  race,  and  one  of  the  many  unerring  indications  of  the  "manifest  destiny"  of 
America.  Our  authorities  are  the  testimony  of  participants  and  witnesses  of  the  stirring 
scenes  off  the  Cuban  coast,  which  make  up  one  of  the  most  profoundly  interesting  chap, 
ters  in  the  history  of  nations.] 

|UBA  was  making  history  fast.     At  nine  o'clock  on 
the   bright,  sunshiny  morning  of  July  3,  1898,  the 
American  fleet  was  riding  at  anchor  off  Santiago 
harbor,  the  sea  rippling  softly  as  it  had  done  for 
days,  and  all  the  signs  indicating  a  continuance 
of  the  monotonous  duty  of  watching  the   Spanish 
squadron  that  had  sailed  through  the  entrance  more 
than  a  month  before,  and  been  insecurely  locked  in 
by  the  sinking  of  the  collier  Mcrrimac  across  the  channel.     Admiral 
Sampson  and  a  few  officers  had  left  the  line  on  the  flagship  New 
York  to  visit  the  army  headquarters  in  front  of  Santiago. 

It  was  half-past  nine  when  Lieutenant  M.  L.  Bristol,  of  the  battle 
ship  Texas,  lying  directly  in  front  of  Santiago  harbor,  saw  a  mass  of 
dark  smoke  rising  between  Morro  Castle  and  La  Socapa,  and  show 
ing  distinctly  against  the  soft  blue  of  the  mountains  in  the  distance. 
While  he  was  looking1  and  wondering  what  it  meant,  the  bow  of  a 


CHAP,  cm 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1961 


ship  thrust  itself  into  view  from  behind  the  Estrella  Battery.  The 
next  instant  the  electric  gongs  s®unded  their  call  of  the  ship's  com 
pany  to  general  quarters.  Under  full  'speed,  the  Texas  plunged  tow 
ard  the  approaching  vessel,  the  vari-colored  flags  from  several  ships 
fluttering  to  the  wind 
the  startling  signal : 

"  The  enemy  is  trying 
to  escape."  * 

The  Brooklyn,  Iowa, 
and  Oregon  crowded  on 
all  speed  and  eagerly 
headed  for  the  harbor 
entrance,  some  two  and 
a  half  miles  away.  It 
was  true  that  Admiral 
Cervera,  seeing  the  coils 
gathering  round  him,  and 
in  obedience  to  positive 
orders  from  Madrid,  had 
determined  to  risk  every 
thing  in  a  final  desperate 
effort  to  escape.  His 
ships  were  rated  at  higher 
speed  than  the  Ameri 
cans;  they  were  first 
class,  and  fully  manned; 
and  it  would  seem  that 
he  had  a  fair  fighting 
chance  of  success.  ' 

The  fi  r  s  t  Spanish 
cruiser  to  come  into  sight 
was  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  and  following"  her,  in  the  order  named, 
were  the  Vizcaya,  the  ^Almirante  Oquendo,  the  Cristobal  Colon  (iden 
tified  by  her  military  masts  between  the  two  smokestacks),  with  the 
Phiton  and  Furor  bringing  up  the  rear. 

Admiral  Cervera's  flagship  was  the  splendid  Infanta  Maria  Teresa, 
which  opened  the  battle  by  sending  a  shell  toward  the  American  ves- 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


Flight 
of  the 
Span 
ish 
Fleet 


THE  WARNING   SIGNAL 


Order 

of 
Flight 


*  The  above  illustration  shows  the  signr!  "  2.  5.  o."  which  was  hoisted  on  the  Oregon 
on  July  3,  and  meanf  "  The  enemy  is  trying  to  escape." 


1962 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED   STATES       CHAP,  cm 


PERIOD 
VIII 


sels;  but  it  splashed  harmlessly  into  the  water.     The  huge  guns  of 
the  Texas  thundered   their  reply,  followed   immediately  by  those  of 
EXPANSION  trie  other  ships.     As  soon  as  they  were  fairly  clear  of  the  harbor, 
1898      j-jjg  Spaniards  turned  to  the  westward,  and  crowding  on  every  ounce 


COMMODORE  JOHN  W.   PHILIP,  U.  S.  N. 


of  steam,  fled  for  their  lives.  They  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  on  their 
pursuers,  but  evidently  had  placed  all  their  hopes  upon  getting  away 
through  their  superior  speed. 


CHAP,  cm        McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1963 


The  Brooklyn  veered  so  as  to  make  her  course  parallel  with  that     PERIOD 
of  the  enemy,  and,  reaching  a  fair  range,  opened  a  fierce  running       —^ 
fight.     The  Texas,  still  steaming  toward  shore,  hotly  exchanged  shots  EXPANSION 
with  the  foremost  ships,  which,  hugging  the  land,  drew  away  to  the       l898 


ADMIRAL  CERVERA  Y     TOPETE    (SPANISH   NAVY) 

westward  under  the  shadow  of  the  hills.  The  Texas  made  for  the 
Vizcaya;  and  unable  to  overhaul  her,  she  did  terrible  execution  with 
her  shells.  Her  captain,  John  W.  Philip,  stood  on  the  bridge 


The 
Pursuit 


1964 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES       CHAP,  cm 


PERIOD 

via 


1898 


directing  operations  until  the  fire  became  so  hot  that  he  moved  to  the 
protection  of  the  conn  ing-tower.  Me  had  just  changed  his  position 
when  a  shell  crashed  through  the  pilot-house,  and  would  undoubtedly 
have  killed  every  one  on  the  bridge  had  they  remained  there. 

Captain  Philip  directed  every  movement  of  the  Texas  throughout 
the  fight.  The  shells  shrieked  all  about  the  ship;  but  she  was  struck 
only  a  few  times,  and  received  no  material  injury.  The  din  was  over- 


FIOHTINQ-TOP  OF  THE      TEXAS" 

powering,  and  the  dense  smoke  at  times  shut  everything  from  view. 
The  prodigious  1 2-inch  guns  in  the  turrets  were  swung  across  the 
deck  to  increase  the  power  of  the  broadside.  When  they  were  fired 
in  this  position  the  whole  ship  trembled  with  the  concussion,  and 
the  men  near  the  gun  were  knocked  down  at  each  discharge. 

Captain  Clark  had  not  come  so  many  thousand  miles  with  the 
Oregon  to  let  slip  this  glorious  chance.  His  splendid  battleship, 
under  forced  draught,  shot  past  the  Texas,  and  raced  after 


CHAP,  era      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1965 


Commodore  Schley  on  the  Brooklyn  to  head  off  the  foremost  fugi 
tive,  while  the  Iowa  was  firing  and  straining  every  nerve  to  be  in 
at  the  death. 

It  was  only  a  few  minutes  past  ten,  when  flames  and  smoke  upon 
the  third  of  the  Spanish  ships,  which  had  been  maintaining  a  duel 
with  the  Texas,  showed  she  was  on  fire.  The  terrified  Spaniard 
headed  for  shore;  and,  knowing  she  was  done  for,  Captain  Philip  gave 
his  attention  to  the  one  following.  The  Brooklyn  and  Oregon  sent  a 
few  parting  shots  after  the  disabled  cruiser,  but  kept  on  with  undi- 
minished  speed  after  the  Almirante  Oqnmdo  and  the  Cristobal  Colon. 

At  this  juncture,  the 
two  torpedo-boat  destroy 
ers  Pluton  and  Furor, 
which  had  followed  the 
cruisers  without  being 
noticed,  were  discovered. 
They,  too,  were  going  at 
full  speed  to  the  west 
ward.  By  Captain  Philip's 
orders,  all  the  small  guns 
on  his  ship  were  turned 
on  the  boats.  Lieutenant* 
Commander  Richard 
Wain wright,  one  of  the 
survivors  of  the  Maine, 
with  the  auxiliary  cruiser 
Gloucester,  formerly  the 
yacht  Corsair,  boldly 
dashed  forward  to  attack 
the  torpedo-boat  destroyers,  and  at  one  time  received  the  fire  of 
both,  besides  that  of  the  Vizcaya  and  Morro  Castle.  It  seemed  a 
miracle  that  the  Gloucester  was  not  sunk;  but  the  shells  splashed 
harmlessly  about  her,  and  the  pattering  bullets  from  the  machine- 
guns  did  no  injury.  Often  the  daring  little  cruiser  was  hidden 
from  sight  by  smoke,  her  presence  revealed  only  by  the  flash  of  her 
guns ;  but  as  she  emerged  into  view  she  was  seen  fighting  with  undi- 
minished  energy. 

The  Ne-u>  York,  with  Admiral  Sampson,  now  appeared  hurrying 
up  from  the  eastward,  and,  observing  her,  the  Pluton  and  Furor  sped 


LIEUT.-COMMANDER  RICHARD  WAINWRIGHT,  U.  S.  N. 


PERIOD 

VIII 

OCR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


The 

Terrified 
Span 
iards 


Daring 
Work  of 

the 

Glouces 
ter 


1966 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES      CHAP,  cm 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


after  the  Vizcaya,  aiming  to  get  into  the  protection  of  her  starboard 
side.  The  Indiana  rained  shells  upon  the  first  destroyer,  when,  seeing 
t^e  hopelessness  of  flight,  both  started  back  for  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor,  four  miles  to  the  eastward.  The  Gloucester  was  on  the  alert, 
and  joined  her  converging  fire  with  that  of  the  Indiana.  One  of  the 
drifting  and  battered  destroyers,  with  her  guns  silent,  displayed  a 
flag  of  truce.  She  was  in  flames,  and  her  crew  ran  her  ashore, 
where  she  soon  blew  up.  The  second  was  beached,  and  the  men 
scrambled  to  land.  It  was  remarkable  that,  after  receiving  the 


THE  MEN  BEHIND  THE  GUNS  ' 

first  fire  from  the  Gloucester,  the  destroyers,  through  their  superior 
speed,  were  able  to  run  away  from  her,  only  to  return  to  be 
destroyed  by  the  plucky  American.  Admiral  Sampson  sent  two 
shots  after  the  destroyers,  but  it  was  the  Gloucester  which  effected 
their  destruction. 

Meanwhile,  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  and  Vizcaya  were  'edging 
toward  shore  and  were  seen  to  be  in  distress.  The  Texas  was  firing 
terrifically,  when  the  Vizcaya  ran  up  a  white  flag,  and  Captain  Philip 
shouted  the  order  to  cease  firing. 


COPYRIGHT    1898. 


''DON'T  CHEER,   BOYS;     THE  POOR  FEUtOWS  ARE.  DYIfl.Q  " 

FROM    THE   ORIGINAL    DRAWING   BY   J.    STEEPLE  DAVIS 


CHAP,  cm        McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1969 

The   Spaniards   saw  they  were  doomed,  and  ran   for  the  beach.      P^II°D 
Clouds  of  smoke  rolled  upward,  from  each,  through  which  vivid  jets       ^^ 
of  flames  showed,  and  boats  were  seen  putting  out  from  the  cruisers 
for  the  shore.     The  Iowa  paused    long  enough   to  make  sure  that 
the  two  were  out  of   the  fight,  when   she  joined  in  the  pursuit  of 
the    Colon   and   Almirante   Oquendo,  which    were    speeding    for    life 
along  the  coast 

It  lacked  a  few  minutes  of  eleven  when  the  Spaniards  suddenly  %  Two 
turned  the  Almirante  Oquendo  toward  shore.  At  that  moment  the 
Brooklyn  and  Oregon  were  abeam  and  the  Texas  astern.  The  first 
two  pushed  on  after  the  Cristobal  Colon,  leaving  it  to  the  Texas 
to  finish  the  Almirante  Oquendo.  Nothing,  however,  remained  to  be 
done,  for  the  ship  was  afire,  and  the  flag  at  the  stern  was  hauled 
down.  The  Texas  was  drawing  up,  when  the  burning  ship  was  shaken 
by  a  thunderous  explosion.  The  exultant  Americans  started  to  cheer, 
when  Captain  Philip  raised  his  hand  and  called : 

"Don't  cheer!  the  poor  fellows  are  dying!" 

It  was  a  chivalrous  act  that  will  always  live  in  the  annals  of  the 
American  navy. 

Leaving    the    Almirante  Oquendo  to    her    fate,    the    Texas    joined         A 

Wonder- 
in  the  chase  of   the  Cristobal  Colon,  which  was  ploughing  through        ful 

the    waters    at    a    speed    that    threatened   to    leave    her   pursuers     Chase 
behind. 

The  chase  was  the  greatest  of-  modern  times.  Only  on  her  trial 
trip  did  the  Texas  attain  such  speed,  while  the  fourteen  thousand 
miles  of  storm  and  sunshine  through  which  the  Oregon  had  come  to 
gain  a  coveted  opportunity  like  this  seemed  to  act  as  the  spur  to  a 
spirited  charger. 

The  Brooklyn  was  the  swiftest  of  all  the  pursuers,  but  was 
believed  to  be  inferior  in  strength  to  the  ( risto bal  Colon.  She  took 
the  lead,  standing  well  out  from  shore,  aiming  to  cut  off  the  Spaniard 
at  a  point  far  ahead  that  jutted  out  into  the  sea.* 

*  Few  persons  suspect  the  enormous  expense  involved  in  gunnery-practice 
by  our  warships.  A  single  shot  sometimes  costs  the  Government  $2,500, 
and  multiplying  this  amount  by  hundreds  and  thousands  some  idea  of 
the  prodigious  cost  is  gained.  The  Spanish  Government  appropriated 
large  sums  for  target -practice,  but  in  accordance  with  Castilian  honor 
the  amounts  were  divided  among  the  officers,  without,  in  the  majority  of  in 
stances,  the  test  of  a  single  gun.  The  result  of  a  meeting  between  the  hostile  ships 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cm 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

I8g8 


A 

Mighty 
Rush 


Naval  officers  describe  the  work  of  the  Oregon  as  magnificent 
and  thrilling,  and  no  such  display  of  power  and  speed  by  a  battleship 
was  ever  seen  as  when,  at  the  opening  of  the  chase,  she  made  her 
mighty  dash  across  the  bows  of  the  huge  Iowa,  with  every  gun  ex 
cept  one  13-inch  in  the  after-turret  blazing,  and  the  water  tumbled 
into  foam  by  her  tremendous  rush,  which  in  ten  minutes  drew  her 

out  of  the  bunch  of  pur 
suers  and  placed  her 
next  to  the  Brooklyn. 
An  officer  of  this  won 
derful  craft  wrote : 

"  The  Oregon  was  the 
only  battleship  keeping 
up  with  the  pace  set  by 
the  Brooklyn,  and  kept 
neck  and  neck  with  her 
during  the  early  part  of 
the  race,  and  by  her  fast 
running  got  on  the  inside 
of  the  Brooklyn  and  next 
to  the  Colon.  From  9  130 
in  the  morning,  when  the 
Colon  first  poked  her 
nose  out  and  the  race 
was  on,  until  I  :i5  in  the 
afternoon,  when  the  last 
ship  surrendered,  the 
Oregon  was  pushed  for 
all  she  was  worth  under 

forced  draught,  and  the  fact  that  she  had  high  pressure  of  steam  at 
the  beginning  gave  her  a  good  start,  which  she  kept  up.  When  the 
Colon  surrendered  no  other  vessel  except  the  Brooklyn  was  in  sight, 
and  the  capture  was  made  by  the  Brooklyn  because  the  Commodore 
was  on  board  and  we  gave  way  to  her.  The  Colon  s  officers  said 

was  inevitable,  and  demonstrated  the  true  economy  of  the  American  method.  When  the 
Vizcaya  tried  to  ram  th.e  Brooklyn,  the  latter  fired  in  the  space  of  a  few  minutes  183 
8-inch,  65  6-inch,  12  6-pound,  and  400  i-pound  shells,  the  cost  of  which  was  $31,000. 
The  shot  that  did  the  most  execution  was  an  8-inch  shell,  which  raked  the  Vizcaya 
fore  and  aft,  and  killed  in  its  passage  eighty  Spaniards.  Great  execution  was  also  done 
by  the  1 3-inch  shells  of  the  Oregon. 


CAPT.  CHARLES  E.  CLARK,  U.S.  N.,  OF  THE   OREGON" 


COPYRIGHT    1898. 


THE  "OREGON'S"  MIGHTY  RUSH  (JULY  3) 

FROM    THE   ORIGINAL  PAINTING    BY   WARREN    SHEPPARD 


1972  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cm 

PVIIID     a^ter  tne  fight  that  the  Oregon,  caused  them  to  haul  down  the  flag, 
—        as  they  could  not  stand  the  terrific  fire  from  her  guns,  and  if  they 


N  could  have  outdistanced  her  they  were  confident  of  disabling  the 
1898  Brooklyn  and  getting  away.  The  Oregon  was  the  farthest  east  of 
all  at  the  start,  except  the  Indiana,  Captain  Philip,  of  the  Texas, 
wondered  how  we  could  make  such  speed,  and  was  amazed  at  the 
way  the  Oregon  pushed  ahead  and  kept  along  with  the  Brooklyn.  In 
fifteen  minutes  she  passed  all  the  fleet  to  the  westward,  and,  bearing 
down  close  inshore,  engaged  with  all  her  guns  at  once  everything  in 
sight." 

While  the  pursuit  of  the  last  remaining  Spanish  ship  was  at  its 
height,  the  Brooklyn  was  «well  off  shore,  as  already  stated,  with  the 
Oregon  holding  a  middle  course  about  a  mile  from  the  Cristobal  Colon, 
A  and  the  Texas  laboring  with  might  and  main  to  keep  her  place  in  the 
y?r^  at  race.  Gradually  but  surely  the  Brooklyn  forged  ahead  and  the  Ore 
gon  was  abeam,  when  the  Spaniard,  convinced  that  there  was  no 
hope,  headed  for  shore,  and  a  few  minutes  later  hauled  down  his 
flag.  The  Brooklyn,  Oregon,  and  Texas  converged  on  her,  and  stopped 
their  engines  when  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away.  Commodore 
Schley  left  the  Brooklyn,  and  going  aboard  the  Cristobal  Colon,  received 
her  surrender.  Observing  the  approach  of  the  New  York  with  Ad 
miral  Sampson,  the  commodore  signalled  that  a  great  victory  had 
been  won.* 

*  It  seems  incredible  that  warships  can  signal  to  each  other  when  so  distant  as  to  be 
invisible  by  daylight  from  aloft,  but  it  has  been  done.  The  Cincinnati  and  Admiral 
Sampson's  flagship,  the  New  York,  communicated  by  searchlight  at  night  when  more  than 
thirty  miles  apart.  Signalling  may  be  divided  into  visual  and  oral.  For  short  distances, 
in  the  daytime,  ships  use  what  is  generally  known  as  the  "wigwag."  This  method 
depends  upon  an  alphabet  similar  to  the  Morse  code  employed  in  telegraphing.  It  is  called 
the  Myers  code,  and  is  the  base  for  nearly  all  naval  signalling.  Thus  a  wave  of  a  flag  to 
the  right  means  I,  or  a  dot;  when  waved  to  the  left  2,  or  a  dash.  The  system  is 
also  used  in  the  United  States  army  when  co-operating  with  the  navy.  In  the  army, 
signalling  is  done  by  a  few  highly  trained  experts,  while  nearly  every  one  understands  it 
in  the  navy.  •  Each  ship  has  a  series  of  red  and  white  electric  lanterns  fastened  to  a  cable 
running  up  and  down  the  mast.  In  the  Myers  code,  red  corresponds  to  I,  and  the  white 
to  2.  With  the  aid  of  a  keyboard  any  letter  or  number  can  be  made  at  will.  The  same  code 
is  used  for  sound  signalling,  —  one  toot  of  a  steam  whistle  meaning  i,  two  short  toots  2, 
and  a  long  blast  the  end  of  a  word.  By  this  means  a  squadron  can  manoeuvre  when  its 
ships  £re  invisible  to  one  another  in  a  fog.  The  same  sounds  may  be  made  with  a  horn 
or  by  gun-fire.  A  lantern  may  be  used  at  night  in  wigwagging,  as  a  flag  is  used  by  day 
light.  A  convenient  method  is  that  of  fitting  an  electric  lantern  with  a  key  for  making 
and  breaking  the  circuit,  thus  producing  flashes. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  how  the  searchlight  can  be  employed  at  night  on  the  principle 
of  the  wigwag  or  by  the  flash  method.  The  searchlight  at  Sandy  Hook  of  200,000.000 


CHAP,  cm       McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1973 


Naturally,  great  rejoicing  followed.  The  ships  cheesed  one  an 
other,  the  captains  exchanged  compliments  through  the  megaphones, 
and  the  band  of  the  Oregon  played  the  Star-Spangled  Banner  and 
otner  patriotic  airs.  Coming  alongside  of  the  Texas,  in  his  gig  on 
his  return  from  the 
Cristobal  Colon,  the 
happy  Commodore 
Schley  called  to 
Captain  Philip,  "It 
was  a  fine  fight, 
Jack,  wasn't  it?" 
Three  cheers  were 
given  for  their  old 
commander,  and 
Captain  Philip, 
calling  all  hands  to 
the  quarter-deck, 
bared  his  head  and 
fervently  thanked 
God  for  the  great 
victory.  In  a  voice 
tremulous  with 
emotion,  he  said: 

"I  wish  to  make 
public  acknowl 
edgment  that  I 
believe  in  God  the 
Father  Almighty. 
I  ask  that  all  you 
officers  and  men 
lift  your  hats  and 
from  your  hearts  offer  silent  thanks  to  the  Almighty." 

Every   hat  was  removed  and  every  head  bowed.     Each   heart 
spent  a  minute  or  two   in  silent  communion  with  his  Maker,  and 

candle-power  can  flash  a  signal  from  New  York  to  a  fleet  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  distant.  This  searchlight  is  the  most  powerful  in  the  world.  The  heliograph 
is  more  generally  understood,  mirrors  being  used  to  flash  the  sunlight  This  is  a 
popular  method  on  the  plains,  where  messages  have  been  understood  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  miles  from  the  sending  point.  Moonlight  or  artificial  light  has 
been  employed  at  night.  Heliography  is  popular  in  the  Spanish  army. 

As  stated    the  methods  named  are  based  upon  the  Myers  code  ;  but  the  navy 
employs  another  which  is  more  secret  and  of  altogether  a  different  nature.     It  is 


PERIOD 
VIII 


A  WARSHIP'S  SEARCHLIGHT 


Thanks 
to  Gotf 


'974 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES      CHAP,  cm 


PERIOD 
VIII 


then,  unable  to  restrain  their  enthusiasm,  all  gave  three  ringing 
cheers  for  their  commander. 

OUR 

EXPANSION       ^n  ^is  remarkable  sea-fight,  Spain  lost  6  ships,  600  men  killed 

l898       and  wounded,  and  1,200  prisoners,  while  the  Americans  had  i  man 

killed  and  2  wounded.      Admiral  Cervera,  when  questioned,  said 

that  he  made  his  dash  out  of  the  harbor  in  obedience  to  orders  from 

Captain  -  General 
Blanco,  who  re 
ceived  his  instruc 
tions  from  Madrid. 
He  took  a  westerly 
course  from  the 
harbor  because 
only  the  Brooklyn 
and  three  Amer 
ican  battleships 
were  on  that  side 
of  the  harbor.  He 
believed  he  could 
whip  the  Brooklyn 
and  outrun  all  the 
others. 

The  wrecks  were 
strewn  along  the 
Cuban  coast  for 
fifty  miles,  the  ex 
treme  point  mark 
ing  where  the 
Brooklyn  and  Ore 
gon  captured  the 

Spanish    CristobaltColon.  Before  she  could  be  boarded,  the  Spaniards  opened  all 
ary       the  sea-  valves  and  threw  the  caps  overboard.  This  was  unwarrantable, ' 

the  flag-hoist  system.  The  large  number  of  flags  or  pennants,  differing  in  color, 
shape  and  design,  have  each  a  particular  meaning  ;  and  when  several  are  strung 
together  and  displayed  aloft,  they"  farm  a  number,  the  signification  of  which  must 
be  found  by  examining  a  book  in  which  all  the  signals  are  explained.  This  book 
is  carefully  guarded  ;  and  since  a  cipher  is  often  employed,  it  is  impossible  for  an 
enemy  to  understand  the  messages.  The  flag-hoists  being  invisible  at  night, 
pyrotechnic  signals  are  displayed,  red  and  green  stars  being  fired  into  the  air  from 
pistols  prepared  for  such  use.  New  systems  are  continually  tested,  and  it  is  not 
improbable  that  a  semaphore  method  similar  to  that  used  in  the  British  navy  will 
be  adopted  by  our  fleets,  to  say  nothing  of  others  that  are  sure  to  be  evolved  by 
the  inventive  ingenuity  of  our  countrymen. 


THIRTEEN-INCH  SHELLS 


CHAP,  cm    McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1975 


PERIOD 
VIII 


since  it  is  a  principle  of  international  law  that,  the  moment  any  prop 
erty  is  surrendered,  the  party  surrendering  it  becomes  simply  a  trustee, 
and  is  in  honor  bound  to  hand  over  the  property  intact  to  the  victor.  COLONIAL 

r          *  <J  r^XPANSIOH 

The  Cristobal  Colon  rapidly  filled  and  sank,  and  finally  careened  over       l89* 
on  her  beam  ends,  with  her  huge  guns  pointing  upward  at  the  sky. 

No  prisoners  could  re 
ceive  more  courteous  treat 
ment  than  that  accorded 
to  the  Spaniards.  Captain 
Evans,  of  the  Iowa,  de 
clined  to  take  the  sword 
offered  to  him  by  Captain 
Eulate,  of  the  Vizcaya; 
and  Admiral  Cervera  had 
made  himself  popular  in 
this  country  by  his  chival 
rous  course  toward  Lieu 
tenant  Hobson.  The  offi 
cers,  after  giving  their 
parole,  were  quartered  on 
the  beautiful  grounds  of  the 
Naval  Academy  at  An 
napolis,  where  they  really 
became  the  guests  of  the 
nation.  The  sailors,  like 
the  soldiers,  had  been  made 
to  believe  that  the  Amer 
icans  invariably  shot  all 
their  prisoners,  and  many 
of  them  declared  that  had 
they  known  the  truth  they 
would  have  been  glad  to 
surrender  long  before  they 
were  forced  to  do  so. 

The  American  Board  of  Survey  made  an  examination  of  the 
Spanish  wrecks  on  the  loth  of  July,  and  expressed  the  belief  that 
the  Cristobal  Colon  and  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  could  be  saved  and 
added  to  the  American  navy.  The  Vizcaya,  Almirante  Oquendo, 


A  HOLE  IN  THE      TEXAS" 


1976 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES       CHAP,  era 


PERIOD 


G      . 
Blunder 


Pluton,  and  Furor  were  total  wrecks.  The  Almirante  Oquendo  re- 
ceived  the  most  punishment  from  our  fire.  With  a  part  of  her  hull 
under  water,  the  portion  in  sight  showed  that  she  had  been  struck 
66  times.  The  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  was  hit  33  times,  the  Vizcaya 
24,  and  the  Cristobal  Colon  8.  The  battle  was  won  by  the  smaller 
guns,  for  only  one  large  shell  —  a  1  2-inch  one  from  the  Texas  —  took 
effect.  That  smashed  a  big  hole  through  the  Almtrante  Oquendo. 
The  explosion  of  the  Vtzcayd  s  .  forward  torpedoes  made  her  the 
worst  wreck  of  all.  The  greatest  execution  was  done  by  the  Oregon, 
Brooklyn,  and  Texas.* 

This  extraordinary  naval  battle  abounded  with  surprises,  chief2 
among  which  were  the  worthlessness  of  the  two  Spanish  torpedo-boaty 
destroyers,  the  ability  of  the   Gloucester,  and  the  amazing  activity  ol 
the  Oregon.  Another  surprise  is  the  hour  chosen  by  Admiral  Cerven 
for  his  hazardous  enterprise,  since  it  gave  the  Americans  most  of 
the  day  to  devote  to  the  chase.    Despite  the  closer  watch  maintainee 
at  night,  it  would  seem  that  that  was  the  most  favorable  time 
escape.     Then,  too,  naval  authorities  agree  that  there  would  have 
been  much  more  chance  for  the  Spanish  ships  had  they  separated., 
thereby  causing  a  division  of  the  American  fleet,  especially  if  the 
flight  had  been  made  at  nig.ht.     The  torpedo-boat  destroyers,  bj 
stealing  out  close  to  one  of  the  cruisers,  might  have  been  able  t( 
dart  forth  and  attack  in  the  way  that  it  was  intended  they  shoul< 
fight,  instead  of  which  they  lagged  behind  and  invited  the  concen 
trated  assault  which  proved  their  destruction.    In  brief,  although  th< 
Spaniards  fought  bravely,  their  course  was  a  blunder  from  begin 
ning  to  end,   and  it  is  a  common  saying  that  in  war  a  blunder  is 
worse  than  a  crime. 

*\Vhat  a  strange  irony  of  fate  that  the  absolute  proof  of  the  premeditated  blow 
ing  up  of  tlie  Maine  was  furnished  by  the  destruction  of  Spain's  warships,  the 
Infanta  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Almirante  Oquendo!  In  the  latter  part  of  September, 
1898,  Lieutenant  Hobson,  after  much  labor  and  with  great  patience  and  skill,  suc 
ceeded  in  floating  and  saving  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  to  be  added  to  our  navy. 


COPYRIGHT    1898 


THE  BATTLE  OF  SAN  JUAN-CHARQE  UP  THE  HILL 


ftaiterf 


CHAPTER    CIV 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  A DMINIS TRA TIO N— 1807-190!  • 
(CONTINUED] 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN   (Continued) 

Conquest  of  Eastern  Cuba 

[Authorities:  With  that  sullen  obstinacy  which  is  blind  to  the  logic  of  events, 
Spain  continues  to  bulletin  her  disastrous  defeats  as  great  victories,  and  still  staggers  for 
ward  in  the  pitiful  attempt  to  strike  her  puny  blows  at  the  giant  that  has  laid  her  low, 
41 1  find  it  difficult  to  restrain  my  joyful  emotions,"  exclaimed  one  of  her  leading  officials, 
when  the  first  news  of  Manila  reached  Madrid.  But  with  the  inevitable  end  in  sight, 
and  the  certainty  that  prolonged  resistance  must  make  the  terms  of  peace  still  harder, 
she  sacrifices  her  sons  and  renders  more  hopeless  her  bankruptcy,  under  the  pretence 
that  all  this  is  necessary  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  mythical  Spanish  honor.  Knowing 
its  opponent  so  well,  the  United  States  proceeds  to  administer  another  humiliating  defeat 
at  Santiago,  in  the  hope  of  bringing  her  to  her  senses  ;  but  it  fails,  and  the  story  remains 
only  one  of  the  many  that  add  lustre  to  American  manhood,  skill,  and  courage,  and  reflect 
glory  upon  the  innumerable  achievements  of  our  aims.] 

[LTHOUGH  his  troops  were  n</t  as  numerous  as  he 
wished,  General  Shatter  pressed  steadily  forward, 
and  on  the  30!  of  July,  the  day  which  saw  the  de- 
struction  of  Admiral  Cervera's  fleet,  he  made  a 
demand  for  the  surrender  of  Santiago,  receiving 
in  reply  a  refusal,  as  has  already  been  recorded. 

In  a  desperate  effort  to  block  the  harbor  against 
the  entrance  of  the  American  fleet  and  save  the  city  from  bombard 
ment,  the  Spanish,  early  on  the  morning  of  July  4,  ran  the  Reina 
Mercedes  ashore  near  where  the  Mernmac  had  been  sunk.  The  attempt 
was  a  failure,  since  the  vessel  did  not  block  the  entrance.  The  event 
of  July  6  was  the  exchange  of  Assistant  Naval  Constructor  Richmond 


huaSJ  Otjtraytrf  by  Iht  3wnian» 


CHAP,  civ      McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  1979 

\ 

P.  Hobson  and  his  seven  comrades  for  the  same  number  of  Spanish 
prisoners  of  war.    There  was  considerable  parleying  between  General 


Shatter  and  General  Toral,  who  had  become  the  commander  of  the 
Spanish  forces  after  the  wounding  of  General  Linares  on  July  I,  but       l898 
the  preliminaries  were  finally  arranged. 

Although  General  Shafter  had  set  the  hour  for  the  bombardment 
of  Santiago  upon  the  refusal  of  General  Toral  to  surrender,  the 
attack  was  postponed  at  the  suggestion  of  the  President  and  his  The 

advisers  until  the  arrival  of  reinforcements.    The  belief  obtained  at   .  Bom- 

bardment 

that  time  that  General  Pando  had  advanced  from  Holguin  and  Post- 
formed  a  junction  with  the  Spaniards  in  Santiago,  bringing  several 
thousand  Spanish  soldiers  to  aid  in  the  defence  of  the  city.  It 
was  afterward  developed  that  such  was  not  the  fact,  and  that  General 
Pando  was  not  in  that  part  of  Cuba.  Meanwhile,  vigorous  steps 
were  taken  to  reinforce  Shafter  and  to  send  him  additional  supplies 
of  ammunition. 

The  two-days'  truce  was  turned  to  good  account  by  the  besiegers 
and  besieged.      The  Americans  dug  trenches  and  made  bomb-proofs 
along  their  whole  line,  and  brought  up  artillery  from  the  road,  while    Improv- 
the  positions  were  strengthened  in  every  way  possible.     Moreover,  Opporttn 
the  engineer  corps  obtained  the  precise  range  of  all  the  Spanish  guns       mty 
and  trenches,  assuring  a  more  deadly  fire  when  the  bombardment 
should  open. 

The  Spaniards  covered  their  trenches  with  sods  to  hide  them,  and 
improved  their  rifle-pits.  They  used  good  judgment,  and  neglected 
nothing  that  could  add  to  their  strength.  Some  of  their  guns  proved 
a  dangerous  menace  to  the  American  position.  A  characteristic 
'piece  of  work  was  the  location  of  the  main  intrenchment  behind  the 
hospital  and  insane  asylum,  from  which  floated  the  flag  of  the  Red 
Cross  Society.  It  was  hoped  that  this  would  interfere  -with  the  fire 
of  the  American  centre.  Warning  was  sent  to  the  Spaniards  to 
remove  all  non-combatants  from  the  building. 

At  daybreak,  July  6,  the  Americans  were  surprised  to  see  the  flag 
of  truce  still  flying  over  the  Spanish  headquarters  in  Santiago. 
While  wondering  at  its  meaning,  a  man  in  uniform  emerged  from 
the  city,  bearing  a  smaller  white  flag.  General  Shafter  sent  out  a 
party  to  receive  the  messenger,  who  proved  to  be  a  commissioner 
from  General  Toral.  The  commissioner  said  he  had  an  important 
communication  to  deliver  to  the  American  commander,  and  desired 


1980 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  civ 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


A 
Message 

from 

Genera) 

Toral 


Exten 
sion 
of  the 
Truce 


to  be  taken  "to  him.  The  custom  is  to  blindfold  such  messengers 
before  allowing  them  to  pass  through  their  enemy's  lines ;  but  it  was 
believed,  in  this  instance,  that  the  Spaniard  might  gain  an  impres 
sive  object-lesson  by  observing  the  completeness  of  the  American 
preparations  to  reduce  the  city.  Not  only  were  his  eyes  unban 
daged,  but  his  attention  was  directed  to  the  formidable  character  of 
these  preparations,  and  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  he  was  suitably 
impressed  by  what  he  saw. 

When  conducted  to  General  Shafter,  the  lengthy  message  of  Gen 
eral  Toral  was  delivered  and  found  to  contain  a  proposal  that  the 
truce  should  be  extended  in  order  to  give  General  Toral  time  to  com 
municate  with  the  authorities  at  Madrid  concerning  the  surrender  of 
Santiago.  A  rather  singular  request  was  that  the  American  com 
mander  would  send  telegraph  operators  to  operate  the  line  between 
Santiago  and  Kingston.  The  telegraphists  who  had  been  stationed 

there  were  British 
subjects,  and  had 
left  the  city  under 
the  protection  of 
their  consul  when 
notice  was  given 
of  the  bombard 
ment  in  the  event 
of  a  refusal  to  sur 
render.  General 

Toral  pledged  not  to  ask  the  operators  to 
transmit  anything  not  relating  to  the  sur 
render,  and  promised  to  return  them  to  El  Caney  upon  receiving 
the  final  reply  from  Madrid. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  truce,  which  had  expired  at  4  o'clock  the 
preceding  day,  should  be  extended  to  the  same  hour  on  Saturday,  the 
Qth.  The  British  operators  having  expressed  their  willingness 
to  return  to  Santiago,  were  escorted /to  the  walls  of  the  city, 
where  a  Spanish  escort  met  and  conducted  them  to  the  office 
of  the  cable  company,  and  they,  assumed  their  novel  duties  in  the 
afternoon. 

It  should  be  stated  that  after  the  destruction  of  Cervera's  fleet, 
not  only  did  thousands  of  citizens  flee  from  Santiago  to  the  Ameri 
can  lines  for  protection  and  food,  but  among  them  was  the  entire 


T 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  civ 


civil  government,  including  the  governor,  the  mayor,  and  the  presi- 
Fugi-     dent  of  the  upper  court  of  justice,  all  of  whom  had  been  forbidden 
from      to  leave  the  city ;  but  they  tramped  over  the  mountains  with  other 
Santiago  refugees  to  El  Caney,  where  they  were  received  and  treated  with  con 
sideration. 


Uncon 
ditional 
Surren 
der  De 
manded 


A  HOTCHKISS  RAPID-FIRE  GUN 


General  Shafter  continued  his  preparations  for  bombardment  with 
as  much  vigor  as  if  certain  of  a  final  refusal  on  the  part  of  General 
Toral  to  surrender.  The  plan  was  in  case  of  such  refusal  for  the 
fleet  to  bombard  the  city  from  Aguadores  simultaneously  with  the 
army  batteries,  it  being  decided  that  if  necessary  the  battleships 
should  force  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  at  any  cost. 

General  Shafter  notified  our  Government,  when  the  hour  set  for 
the  expiration  of  the  truce  arrived,  that  General  Toral  had  expressed 
a  wish  to  capitulate.  In  reply,  the  American  commander  was  or 
dered  to  accept  no  terms  other  than  "  unconditional  surrender." 

When  the  last  flag  of  truce  was  sent  from  the  Spanish  lines,  it 
notified  General  Shafter  that  his  demand  for  surrender  without  terms 
was  refused.  A  few  minutes  before  five  o'clock  that  afternoon  (July 


CHAP.  CIV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1983 


IO),  the  American  batteries  opened  fire  on  the  enemy's  intrench- 
ments  surrounding  the  city.  It  lasted,  however,  but  a  short  time, 
because  of  approaching  darkness.  The  response  was  spiritless,  but 
the  answering  musketry  volleys  were  vigorous.  General  Shafter 
sent  word  to  Siboney  ordering  the  troops  there  to  join  him  before 
morning,  when  it  was  intended  to  renew  the  bombardment. 

At  a  council  of  war  held  Saturday  night,  the  commander  submit 
ted  to  his  officers  the  terms  on  which  General  Toral  was  willing  to 
surrender  the  city.  These  were  that  he  would  leave  Santiago,  taking 
with  him  all  the  arms,  artillery,  and  impediment^,  but  would  do  no 
damage  to  the  city.  As  stated,  this  proposal  was  peremptorily  re 
jected  at  Washington. 

The  navy  was  prompt  in  performing  its  share  of  the  bombardment. 
During  the  afternoon,  \.\\&.Brooklyn,  Indiana,  and  Texas  ranged  them 
selves  about  half  a  mile  apart,  and  about  half  a  mile  from  shore,  off 
Aguadores,  the  Indiana  being  to  the  westward  of  the  line,  and  half  a 
mile  east  of  that  place. 

The  Brooklyn  began  the  firing  with  her  5 -inch  port  battery. 
•When  she  had  discharged  seven  shots,  the  Texas  opened,  soon  fol 
lowed  by  the  Indiana.  The  target  of  all  these  shots  was  invisible, 
a  high  range  of  hills  shutting  off  the  view  inland.  Two  minutes' 
interval  was  allowed  between  the  shots  in  order  to  learn  if  the  shells 
were  rightly  placed.  Telephone  connection  had  been  established 
between  General  Shafter's  headquarters  at  the  front  and  a  captured 
bridge  on  the  Aguadores  Railway,  whence  the  signals  were  wig 
wagged  to  the  flagship.  The  range  of  the  battleships  over  the  ridge 
north  by  west  was  not  quite  six  miles. 

At  the  first  fire  of  the  Brooklyn,  Morro  Castle  ran  up  its  danger 
signal,  showing  white  above  red,  but  neither  Morro  nor  the  outlying 
batteries  made  any  answer  to  the  fire  of  the  battleships.  It  may 
be  interesting  to  note  that  this  was  the  first  attack  of  a  city  by  a 
fleet  since  the  British  bombardment  of  Alexandria  in  1884. 

The  Brooklyn  fired  in  all  15  5-inch  shells,  the  Texas  3  6-inch 
shells  from  her  forward  gun  on  the  main  deck  and  7  1 2-inch  shells 
from  her  port  turret,  and  the  Indiana  8  8-inch  shells  from  her  port 
side.  The  thunderous  explosion  of  these  missiles,  six  miles  distant, 
was  plainly  heard.  Mingled  with  them,  and  the  boom  of  the  artil 
lery  on  shore,  were  the  reverberating  peals  of  natural  thunder,  a  vio 
lent  storm  and  downpour  of  rain  continuing  throughout  the  latter 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Toral's 

Terms 

Refused 


The 
Naval 
Bom 
bardment 


i984 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  civ 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

I8g8 


Exten 
sion 
of  the 

Ameri 
can 
Lines 


Work 
of  the 
Army 
and 
Navy 


part  of  the  bombardment.  A  message  from  General  Shafter  that  the 
shells  were  landing  too  close  to  his  lines  caused  the  firing  to  cease 
shortly  before  six  o'clock. 

The  arrival  of  reinforcements  enabled  the  commander  to  extend  his 
line  entirely  around  Santiago,  thus  locking  in  General  Toral  and 
shutting  out  any  help  from  reaching  him.  Although  this  line  was 
necessarily  weak  in  spots,  reinforcements  could  be  quickly  moved  to 
any  point  needed. 

It  was  the  intention  of  General  Shafter  to  renew  the  bombardment 
at  daylight,  but  a  dense  mist  that  veiled  mountain  and  valley  obscured 
the  Spanish  lines  near  the  city.  When  the  sun  dissolved  the  vapors, 
the  American  gunners  were  ordered  to  renew  their  destructive  work ; 
but  instead  of  firing  on  "  general  principles,"  as  may  be  said,  they 
were  directed  to  select  specific  targets.  The  result  was  another  dis 
play  of  marksmanship  rarely  or  never  seen  on  the  part  of  the  artillery 
of  other  nations. 

As  usual,  the  Spanish  sharpshooters  were  exasperatingly  annoy 
ing.  They  were  hidden  among  the  tree-branches,  and  devoted  their 
efforts  to  picking  off  the  American  gunners ;  but  there  were  equally 
good  marksmen  among  our  own  infantry,  and,  although  it  was  diffi 
cult  to  locate  the  miscreants,  who  used  smokeless  powder,  the  success 
in  doing  so  was  proven  by  the  sight  of  more  than  one  limp  form 
tumbling  headlong  through  the  limbs  to  the  ground.  The  dynamite- 
gun,  in  charge  of  Sergeant  Hallet  Alsop  Borrowe,  of  the  Rough 
Riders,  \vas  used  with  great  effect. 

It  was  believed  that  the  Spaniards'  ammunition  was  running  low, 
for  their  batteries  did  not  fire  more  than  half  a  dozen  shots  in  reply. 
They  kept  close  within  their  trenches,  except  when  a  shell  dropped 
among  them,  when  they  frantically  scrambled  out.  '  With  a  view  to 
saving  the  great  loss  of  life  that  would  follow  an  assault,  General 
Shafter  devoted  his  efforts  to  harassing  the  enemy  by  a  continuous 
fire  from  his  batteries. 

The  fleet,  as  before,  assisted  in  this  work.  At  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning  (July  1 1),  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn  left  their  night  sta 
tions  and  approached  Aguadores.  In  order  to  improve  the  aim  of 
the  preceding  day,  a  wigwag  signal  to  the  beach  ordered  that  sig 
nallers  be  sent  to  the  top  of  the  ridge  over  which  the  shells  were  to 
be  fired,  to  form  telephone  connection  with  the  front  and  learn  of  the 
effectiveness  of  the  range. 


CHAP.  CIV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1985 


THE       YALE" 


As  a  feeler,  the  New  York  fired  an  8-inch  shell,  but  it  reqyired  an 
hour  to  learn  where  it  had  fallen.  The  report  of  that  and  of  the  sec 
ond  caused  a  change  in  the  range,  but  the  third  shell  dropped 
in  Santiago,  the  announcement  of  which  was  received  with 
•cheers  by  the 
sailors.  With  a 
range  of  8,500 
yards,  the  firing 
became  regular. 
It  was  slow,  how- 
€  v  e  r,  and  the 
Brooklyn  did  not 
open  until  after 
the  New  York's 
twenty-sixth 
shot. 

By  and   by  the 
Indiana   steamed 

into  position  and  swung  her  turret  guns  to  starboard.  She  delivered 
a  broadside  from  her  8-inch  guns,  and  discharged  faster  than  the 
Other  ships,  continuing  until  nearly  one  o'clock,  when  a  signal 
was  received  from  General  Shafter  that  a  flag  of  truce -had  been 

sent  to  General 
Toral,  and  firing 
for  the  day  was 
over.  One  hun 
dred  and  six 
shells  had  been 
fired,  of  which  all 
but  five  were  ef 
fective,  the  last 
dropping  almost 
in  the  heart  of 
the  city. 

It    was    about 
this     time     that 

General  Miles,  who  had  left  Washington  on  the  Qth,  arrived  on  the 

Yale  off  Aguadores,  and  was  cheered  by  the  men  of  the  flagship  as 

lie  sailed  around  it.     Subsequently  he  made  an  inspection   at    Si- 


THE       HARVARD' 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Arrival 

of 
Genera] 

Miles 


1986 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  civ 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
I8g8 


The 
Truce 
again 

Ex 
tended 


boney,  and  went  to  the  front  the  next  day,  where,  instead  of  assum 
ing  direct  command,  he  remained  with  General  Shafter  in  an  ad 
visory  capacity,  as  was  announced,  and  exercised  general  supervision. 
The  roads  leading  from  Santiago  to  Si  boney  and  El  Caney  were 
continuously  thronged  with  refugees, .  many  of  whom  were  children. 
They  were  in  a  pitiful  condition.  Had  not  the  troops  divided  their 
meagre  rations  with  them,  hundreds  would  have  perished  of  hunger. 


IN  CAMP— WASHING  CLOTHES 

In  Santiago  itself  the  Spanish  soldiers  looted  the  homes  of  the  refu 
gees  and  committed  all  manner  of  outrages. 

The  first  meeting  between  General  Shafter  and  General  Toral 
took  place  on  Wednesday,  July  13,  General  Miles  being  present, 
when  the  demand  upon  the  Spanish  commander  for  the  uncondi 
tional  surrender  of  the  city  was  repeated.  General  Toral  said  that 
no  matter  what  his  own  views  might  be,  he  could  not  yield  the  place 
on  the  conditions  named  by  the  Americans  unless  ordered  to  do  so 
by  his  superiors,  and  he  asked  that  the  truce  might  be  lengthened 
to  enable  him  to  communicate  again  with  Captain-General  Blanco 
and  the  Government  at  Madrid.  This  favor  was  granted,  and  the 
truce  was  extended  to  noon,  Thursday,  July  14. 


CHAP,  civ         McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1987 


As  before,  each  army  devoted  the  delays  to  strengthening  its  posi 
tion.  The  hostile  lines  were  so  close  that  the  Spaniards  and  Ameri 
cans  abused  each  other  in  voices  that  with  only  slight  elevation  were 
clearly  audible. 

At  a  council  of  war  held  on  Wednesday  morning,  there  were  pres 
ent  Generals  Miles,  Shafter,  Wheeler,  and  Garcia,  and  Assistant  Na 
val  Constructor  Hobson  as  the  representative  of  Admiral  Sampson. 
General  Shafter  made  clear  all  that  had  taken  place  during  the 
preceding  few  days,  and  an  interchange  of  views  followed.  It  was 
agreed  that  while 
it  was  certain  the 
city  could  be  cap 
tured  by  assault, 
or  by  the  war 
ships  forcing 
their  way  into  the 
harbor,  the  at 
tack  must  be  ac- 
c  o  m  p  a  nied  by 
great  loss  of  life, 
and  the  prize  was 
not  worth  the 
cost. 

General  Toral, 
by  order  of  the 
authorities  at  Washington,  was  notified  that  unless  he  surrendered 
unconditionally  by  noon  of  the  following  day,  a  bombardment  would 
be  begun  which  would  not  cease  until  the  city  was  destroyed.  It 
was  after  this  council  of  war  that  the  personal  interview  between 
Shafter  and  Toral  took  place. 

The  officers  were  scarcely  less  impatient  than  the  soldiers,  who 
suffered  from  the  frightful  heat  and  the  daily  flood  that  descended 
upon  them.  The  rainy  season  was  at  its  worst,  sickness  was  increas 
ing  in  camp,  and  the  discomforts  of  idleness  were  becoming  too  great 
to  be  borne.  An  assault,  even  though  it  must  be  a  bloody  one,  was 
preferable  to  the  unbearable  monotony  of  a  siege.  On  July  14, 
however,  General  Nelson  A.  Miles  notified  our  government  that 
General  Toral  had  formally  surrendered  his  army_and  division  01 
Santiago. 


IN  CAMP— COOKING 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL. 
EXPANSION 

1898 


A 

Council 
of 

War 


Un 
bearable 

Con 
ditions 


1988 


HISTORY   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  civ 


Terms 
of  the 
Sur 
render 


By  the  terms  of  this  surrender,  the  United  States  obtained  pos 
session  of  something  more  than  a  third  of  the  province  of  San- 
tiago,  including  the  military  jurisdiction  of  the  Fourth  Corps 
of  the  Spanish  army.  The  boundaries  of  the  territory  surren 
dered  begin  at  Acerraderos,  a  seacoast  town,  about  twenty  miles 
west  of  Santiago,  thence  northeast  to  the  town  of  Palma,  twenty- 
two  miles  away,  and  finally  to  Sagua  de  Tanamo,  on  the  northern 
coast.* 


THE  DESPATCH  BOAT      COLON 


*  This  cession  gave  the  United  States  control  of  four  good  harbors,  two  on  the  south 
coast  and  two  on  the  north,  Santiago,  Guantanamo,  Baracoa,  and  Sagua  de  Tanamo. 
The  territory  includes  some  of  the  loftiest  mountains  in  Cuba,  Tarquino,  the  highest 
peak,  being  8,000  feet  above  the  sea  level.  There  are  numerous  streams  and  rivers  in 
this  district,  but  no  important  ones.  The  valleys  are  fertile,  and  the  climate  in  the 
mountainous  region  pleasant.  The  seasons  are  the  wet  and  dry,  the  former  lasting  from 
April  to  October.  The  average  temperature  of  the  year  at  Santiago  is  80.5  degrees,  the 
average  in.  July  and  August  being  85.4  and  in  December  and  January  74. 2  degrees. 
The  sea  breeze,  lasting  from  noon  until  evening,  makes  the  temperature  delightful. 
Yellow  fever,  which  haunts  the  seaboard  during  the  hot  season,  is  almost  wholly  due  to 
the  neglect  of  sanitation.  In  some  of  the  rivers  are  gold  deposits,  with  silver  and  exten 
sive  lodes  of  copper  in  the  Sierra  del  Cobre  Mountains.  Between  the  base  of  the  moun 
tains  and  the  eastern  coast  are  found  bituminous  coal  of  good  quality,  asphaltum  beds 
and  petroleum,  while  gypsum,  slate,  and  jasper  are  other  products  of  Santiago  province. 
The  rich  soil  produces  exuberantly  every  kind  of  vegetable  and  tropical  fruit.  In  some 
places  tobacco  is  grown,  and  coffee,  cocoa,  and  chocolate  thrive.  Rice  is  readily  culti 
vated  and  Indian  corn  is  native,  with  sugar  as  the  staple  product.  There  are  great 
stretches  of  trackless  forests,  and  the  woods  include  cedar,  mahogany,  ebony,  granadilla, 
and  sabicci.  Inland  transportation  facilities,  as  in  many  other  sections  of  Cuba,  are 
almost  wholly  lacking. 


1990 


HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES      CHAP,  civ 


PERIOD 


Some  minor  difficulties  caused  a  few  days  delay,  but  it  was  finally 
agreed  that  the  prisoners  should  be  permitted  to  carry  their  arms  to 
Spain.  The  offer  already  made  to  transport  the  prisoners  to  their 
own  country  was  simply  an  act  of  generosity,  and  intended  moreover 
to  get  rid  of  the  expense  of  taking  care  of  a  large  body  of  men  among 
whom  the  germs  of  disease  were  likely  to  appear.  The  provisions  were 

carried   out,    and 

^•j-^  formal  possession 
was  taken  of 
Santiago,  on  Sun 
day,  July  17. 

Meanwhile,  the 
navy  was  not  an 
inanimate  spec 
tator  of  these  stir 
ring  scenes.  Ow 
ing  to  the  danger 
from  the  mines, 
Admiral  Sampson 
allowed  only  three 
small  boats  to 
enter  the  harbor. 
They  moved  care 
fully  forward  past 
the  wrecked  Rci-na 
Mercedes,  the  hulk 
of  the  Mcrrimac, 
and  finally  into  the 
bay, at  whose  head 
stands  Santiago. 
They  arrived  in 
time  to  take  part 
in  the  cheering 

possession  having  been  assumed  by  the  army.  The  gunboat  Alvarez 
was  the  only  Spanish  vessel  in  the  harbor.  At  the  request  of  her 
officers,  the  American  flag  was  not  run  up  until  they  had  landed. 
The  other  vessels  secured  were  the  steamer  Reina  de  los  Angeles, 
which  had  been  used  as  a  transport,  2  tugs,  4  lighters,  12  schooners, 
and  several  small  boats. 


TWO  CAPTURED  SPANISH  MINES 


CHAP,  civ      McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1991 


All  the  roads  leading  to  Santiago  were  crowded  for  hours  with 
returning  refugees,  while  thousands  of  Spanish  soldiers  streamed  out 
of  the  town.  Reaching  the  rifle-pits,  they  stacked  their  weapons, 
went  into  camp,  and  good-naturedly  and  thankfully  ate  the  hardtack. 
which  the  Americans  gave  them. 


PERIOD 


l898 


CATHEDRAL,  SANTIAGO 

General  Shafter  appointed  Brigadier- General  Leonard  Wood  (pro-    General 
moted  from  his  colonelcy  of  the   Rough  Riders  and  succeeded   by      Wood 
Theodore  Roosevelt)  military  governor  of  Santiago.     The  city  was  Governor 
cleaned,  sanitary  and  civil  regulations   established,   and  the   people 
governed  with  a   considerate  but    firm  wisdom  that  produced  the 
happiest  results. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  there  was  much  dissatisfaction  by  this 
time  on  the  part  of  the  military  authorities  over  the  action  of  -the 
Cuban  insurgents.  Their  numbers  and  strength  had  been  greatly  . 
overestimated.  It  was  alleged  that  they  were  indolent,  and  much 
more  disposed  to  eat  the  rations  furnished  them  than  to  fight.  Many 
looked  with  distrust  on  the  Americans,  believing  they  intended  to 
annex  Cuba  instead  of  granting  its  independence.  While  numerous 


CHAP,  civ      McKlNLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


'993 


Cubans  had  proven  their  bravery  and  patriotism,  it  is  idle  to  deny  that 
the  part  they  played  in  the  war  was  a  disappointment  to  their  friends  in 
this  country.  Another  disagreeable  fact  is  that  a  shamefully  small  per 
centage  of  the  large  number  in  the  United  States  went  to  the  help  of 
our  own  valiant  officers  and  soldiers,  who  gave  their  blood  and  lives  for 
the  cause  of  humanity  and  the  independence  of  a  people  vastly  inferior 
in  every  respect  to  themselves,  and  wholly  unworthy  of  the  sacrifices 
made  in  their  behalf. 

At  seven  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  July  18,  the  block 
ading  vessels  Wilmington, 
Helena,  Scorpion,  Hist,  Hornet, 
Wampatuck,  and  Osceola  ap 
proached  the  harbor  of  Man- 
zanillo  from  the  westward,  and 
a  half-hour  later  the  Wilming 
ton  and  Helena  entered  the 
northern  channel,  toward  the 
city,  the  Scorpion  and  Osceola 
the  middle  channel,  and  the 
Hist,  Hornet,  and  Wampatuck 
the  southern  entrance, — the 
movement  of  all  being  so 
timed  as  to  bring  them  with 
in  effective  range  at  the  same 
moment.  Fire  was  then 
opened  on  the  shipping,  and 
within  the  space  of  about  two 
hours  three  Spanish  transports  were  burned,  the  pontoon,  which  was  the 
harbor  guard,  a  store  ship,  and  three  gunboats  were  destroyed,  and  an- 
other  driven  ashore.  Although  the  shore  batteries  returned  the  fire 
when  the  American  vessels  came  within  range,  they  inflicted  no  damage. 

Admiral  Sampson  sent  four  American  warships,  on  July  21,  to 
the  harbor  of  Nipe,  on  the  northeast  coast  of  the  province  of  Santi 
ago,  the  vessels  being  the  Topeka,  Annapolis,  Wasp,  and  Leyden. 
The  harbor  is  ten  miles  long  and  four  wide,  has  deep  water,  and 
promised  a  fine  base  for  colliers  and  warships.  The  narrow  entrance 
is  protected  on  the  western  side  by  a  small  fort,  with  another  oppo 
site,  and  there  was  reason  to  believe  the  channel  was  mined.  Two 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  LINARES 


The 
Nipe 
Expedi 
tion 


CHAP,  civ         McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


1995 


were  exploded  near  the  Topeka,  as  she  led  the  way,  followed  by  her 
consorts.  As  soon  as  the  vessels  were  within  range  of  the  forts,  fire 
was  opened.  The  Spaniards  replied  wildly  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  ran  away. 

Entering  the  broad  bay,  the  Spanish  cruiser  Jorge  Juan  was  ob 
served  lying  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  harbor,  in  front  of  the 
town  of  Mayari.  When  within  4,000  yards,  the  American  ships 


CUBAN   MILKMEN 

opened  with  such  effect  that  the  boat  sank  within  twenty  min 
utes.  After  blindly  firing  for  a  while,  the  enemy  were  panic- 
stricken,  fled  in  small  boats,  and  ran  into  the  woods.  Then  the 
Topeka  dropped  two  shells^  from  her  bow-gun,  at  a  distance  of  4,500 
yards,  whereupon  the  Spanish  pennants  vanished  and  a  white  flag 
was  run  up. 

The  Jorge  Juan  was  a  three-masted,  one-funnelled  vessel  of  960 
tons  and  1,100  horse-power,  203  feet  long,  35  feet  wide,  and  12  feet 
draught.  Her  crew  consisted  of  146  men,  and  her  battery  was 
heavier  than  the  Topeka  s,  the  largest  of  the  four  attacking  ships. 

Having  secured  the  harbor,  the  Topeka  steamed  to  Key  West  with 
129 


The 
Usual 
Ameri 
can  Sue* 
cess 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  civ 


PERIOD 
Vlll 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


despatches  that  were  brought  to  her  by  the  torpedo-boat  Dupont,  and 
were  from  Admiral  Sampson  to  Commodore  Remey. 

The  capture  of  Santiago  may  be  said  to  have  closed  military  ope 
rations  in  Eastern  Cuba.  The  total  number  of  Spanish  troops  who 
capitulated  under  General  Toral's  surrender  proved  to  be  23,726. 
Ten  thousand  rifles  and  about  10,000,000  rounds  of  ammunition 
were  given  up  to  the  Americans. 

The  Spanish  garrisons  in  East  Cuba  gladly  gave  up  their  arms  and 
marched  to  Santiago.  Eleven  thousand,  of  whom  6,000  were  sea 
soned  regulars,  at  Guantanamo  Bay,  surrendered  July  24,  and  the 
complete  submission  of  the  armed  forces  in  the  ceded  territory  was 
completed. 


A  CUBAN  PLOUGHMAN 


CHAPTER   CV 

McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION— iStf-icpi 
(CONTINUED} 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  (Continued) 

Closing-  Operations  in  Porto  Rico  and  the  Philippines 

[Authorities :  The  most  effective  method  of  convincing  Spain  of  our  earnestness, 
while  the  air  throbs  with  rumors  of  peace,  and  to  teach  her  that  honesty  and  frankness 
Constitute  the  highest  form  of  diplomacy,  is  for  our  Government  to  strike  with  relentless 
and  unceasing  vigor.  Tha:  the  United  States  forces  proceed  to  do.  The  story  of  the 
conquest  of  Porto  Rico  is  a  remarkable  one,  some  of  its  features  resembling  opera  bouffe 
in  the  grotesqueness  of  their  details,  but  hastening  nevertheless  their  momentous  conclu 
sion,  which,  to  all  intelligent  men,  was  foreseen  from  the  beginning.  The  prodigious 
blows  of  America's  armed  power  are  dealt  on  both  sides  of  the  world,  helping  to  shatter 
Spanish  despotism  to  fragments  and  to  bring  forward  peace  in  all  its  fulness  and  benefi 
CCnce.] 

[ORTO  RICO  was  discovered  by  Columbus  in  1493, 
and  the  town  of  San  Juan  Bautista  was  founded 
by  Ponce  de  Leon  in  1511,  the  name  now  being 
San  Juan.  It  was  sacked  by  Drake  in  1595,  and 
again,  three  years  later,  by  the  Duke  of  Cumber 
land.  The  Dutch  were  repulsed  in  1615,  and  the 
<Ch*  TOW  s»«t  *  •'  English  in  1698  and  again  in  1797.  The  Porto 
Ricans  rose  in  revolt  in  1820,  but  were  repressed,  as  they  have  been 
in  several  subsequent  uprisings. 

The  island  lies  about  575  miles  from  Santiago,  and  70  miles  east 
from  Haiti,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Mona  Passage.  It  is 
137  miles  long  and  37  broad,  and  in  area  equals  .about  one-half  of 
New  Jersey,  ranking  as  fourth  of  the  Great  Antilles.  It  has  a  coast 
line  of  300  miles,  and  the  centre  is  traversed  by  the  lofty  range  of 
mountains  known  as  the  Luquillo.  The  highest  peak,  El  Yunque, 


1998 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 

VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


is  a  little  more  than  two  miles  high,  and  is  visible  in  clear  weather 
from  a  distance  of  68  miles. 

Porto  Rico  is  well  watered  and  is  of  beautiful  appearance.  The 
higher  parts  of  the  hills  are  covered  by  forests,  and  immense  herds 
of  cattle  are  pastured  on  the  extensive  savannas.  The  land  along 
the  coasts  is  fertile,  but  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  resort  to  arti 
ficial  irrigation.  The  staples  are  sugar,  molasses,  and  coffee,  besides 


A  NATIVE  FRUIT  SELLER 

cotton,  maize,  and  rice,  the  last  being  of  a  variety  that  requires  no 
flooding  as  elsewhere  while  growing.  Almost  every  kind  of  tropical 
fruit  is  cultivated  and  exported,  and  many  cattle  are  shipped  to  the 
neighboring  islands. 

There  are  nine  small  rivers  on  the  eastern  shore,  and  several  ports 
Features  where  vessels  load  with  sugar  and  molasses.  The  principal  ports  on 
the  eastern  coast  are  Fajardo,  Humacao,  and  Naquabo.  The  northern 
coast  is  rugged  and  uneven,  running  east  and  west  in  nearly  a  straight 
line,  and  between  Cape  San  Juan  and  Port  San  Juan  offers  no  shelter 
whatever. 

Some  thirty  miles  west  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  island,  at  the 


of  the 
Island 


CHAP.  CV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


1999 


entrance  to  a  capacious  harbor,  is  the  city  of  San  Juan,  the  capital. 
It  is  well  laid  out,  and  among  the  most  healthful  in  the  West  Indies. 
It  stands  on  Morro  Island,  which  forms  the  north  side  of  the  harbor, 
and  is  separated  from  the  main  land  by  a  narrow  creek  called  the 
Channel  of  San  Antonio.  The  last  census  showed  that  San  Juan 
contained  a  population  of  31,250  inhabitants.  The  streets  are  clean 
and  the  people  orderly.  There  is  cable  connection  with  St.  Thomas, 
and  a  telegraph  line  joins  it  with  the  principal  places  on  the  island. 

The  largest  city  of  Porto  Rico,  and  the  commercial  capital,  i,v 
Ponce,  whose  location  has  been  described.  It  stands  on  a  rich  plain 
surrounded  by  gardens  and  plantations.  By  the  last  enumeration  the 
population  of  Ponce  was  44,500.  Among  its  fine  buildings  are  the 
town  hall,  the  theatre,  two  churches,  the  charity  and  the  women's 
asylums,  the  barracks,  the  Cuban  House,  and  the  market.  A  leading 
seaport  is  Aguadilla  on  the  west  coast,  whose  spacious  bay  is  shel 
tered  from  the  trade  winds.  At  this  point  are  shipped  the  sugar 
?md  coffee  of  the  northwest  part  of  the  island. 

About  900,000  people  live  in  Porto  Rico,  of  whom,  perhaps,  two- 
thirds  are  white,  and  one-third  negroes  and  mulattoes,  or  people  of 
mixed  blood, — a  condition  which  exists  in  only  a  few  of  the  coun 
tries  of  tropical  America.  Besides  Ponce  and  San  Juan,  the  most 
populous  towns  on  the  island  are  Arecibo  (30,000  inhabitants),  Utu- 
ado  (31,000),  Nayaguez  (28,000),  San  German  (20,000),  Yauco 
(25,000),  Juana  Diaz  (21,000),  with  some  ten  other  towns  with  a 
population  of  1 5,000  each  or  more. 

Porto  Rico  produces  largely  sugar,  coffee,  tobacco,  honey,  and  wax, 
and  a  good  many  of  its  inhabitants  are  well-to-do.  Much  of  its  trade 
is  with  the  United  States,  which  exchanges  corn,  flour,  salt  meat,  fish, 
and  lumber  for  the  staples  of  the  island. 

The  lighthouse  on  Morro  Point,  at  "the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of 
San  Juan,  is  one  hundred  and  seventy-one  feet  above  the  sea,  and  its 
fixed  light  is  visible  for  eighteen  miles  over  the  waters.  The  fortifi 
cations  are  ancient,  but  a  few  modern  guns  have  been  mounted. 

The  climate  of  Porto  Rico  is  salubrioys,  and  there  are  no  serpents 
or  reptiles.  Gold,  copper,  lead,  and  coal  are  found.  The  country  is 
governed  by  a  captain-general,  assisted  by  a  junta  of  military  officers, 
and  with  headquarters  at  San  Juan.  This  city  is  lighted  by  gas  sup 
plied  by  an  English  company,  and  by  electricity  provided  by  a  local 

corporation.     It  has  eleven  newspapers  of  all  kinds,  the  leading  one, 
130 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUH 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


San 
Juaa 


Climate, 
Min 
erals, 
etc 


2000 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PBRIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Atten 
tion 
Turned 
to  the 
Islands 


La  Correspondencia,  a  daily  political  journal,  having  a  circulation  of 
7,000  copies,  equal  to  that  of  all  the  others  combined. 

Spanish  rule  in  Porto  Rico  has  been  cruel  and  corrupt.  Opening 
with  the  usual  ferocity,  the  Spaniards  exterminated  the  native  In 
dian  population.  It  is  claimed  by  some  historians  that  in  the  space 
of  a  hundred  years  this  massacre  reached  the  awful  total  of  500,000 
men,  women,  and  children.  At  elections,  the  Spanish  or  Conserva 


STREET  SCENE  IN  CHARLOTTE  AMELIA,  ST.  THOMAS 

tive  party,  although  greatly  in  the  minority,  has  never  failed  to  win. 
There  is  no  liberty  of  the  press,  and  licenses  are  required  for  every 
thing,  even  for  a  dancing  party.  In  the  face  of  all  these  obstacles, 
however,  there  has  been  considerable  development  in  the  island,  with 
the  result  that  at  this  writing  there  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
of  railways,  with  more  under  construction,  and  some  excellent  wagon 
roads.  It  is  intended  to  extend  the  railway  line  that  runs  along  the 
coast  entirely  round  the  island,  with  short  branches  to  all  the  sea 
ports  and  inland  markets. 

Since  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  were  the  only  Spanish  possessions  in 
the  Western  hemisphere,  attention  was  naturally  turned,  from  the 
opening  of  hostilities,  to  the  smaller  island.  Its  capture  formed  an 
important  part  of  the  campaign  against  Spain,  and  arrangements  were 


CHAP.  CV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2001 


GUANICA    HARBOR— ENTRANCE  TO  PORT  OF  PONCE 


perfected  for 
sending  a  strong 
force  thither,  as 
soon  as  the  con 
quest  of  Santiago 
was  effected. 

General  Miles 
telegraphed  the 
Government,  J  uly 
22,  from  Playaclel 
Este  that  he  was 
a  t  Guantanamo 
harbor,  on  the  way 
to  Porto  Rico, 

with  an  advance  guard  of  3,415  men  all  told.  About  the 
same  time,  General  Hains'  Second  Brigade  left  Camp  Thomas, 
Chattanooga,  for  Newport  NQWS,  there  to  embark  for  the  same  des 
tination.  General  Miles  had  with  him  the  Massacliusetts,  Dixie, 
Gloucester,  Cincinnati,  Annapolis,  Leyden,  Wasp,  Yale,  and  Colum 
bia.  On  July  25  he  landed  at  Guanica,  a  seaport  town  fifteen 
miles  west  of  Ponce  (pon-sy,  also  pronounced  pon-tJiay  by  the 
Spanish). 

Late  on  the  afternoon  of  July  27,  the  Wasp,  Annapolis, 
and  Dixie  left  Guanica  Bay  for  Ponce  with  the  expectation 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  shell  the  city.  The  Wasp  ar 
rived  first,  and  the 
Spanish  garrison, 
three  hundred  and 
fifty  strong,  were 
in  doubt  whether 
to  flee  or  re 
main,  but  decided 
to  wait  a  while. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


PORT  OF  PONCE,   WHERE  TROOPS    LANDED  AT  PORTO    RICO 


AnUn- 

Instead  ot  hostile  expected 

troops,  the  Wasp, 
as  she  steamed 
close  to  shore, 
saw  an  immense 
crowd  of  citizens. 


2002 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


P^°D      At  a  loss  to  know  what  it  meant,  and  suspecting  treachery,  the  gun- 
5^       riers  of  the  Wasp  stood  ready  to  fire  at  an  instant's  warning,  when 
EXPANSION    Ensign   Rowland   Curtin,  with  four  men,   was  sent  ashore  bearing 
1898       a  flag  of  truce. 

As  soon  as  the  little  party  landed,  they  were  overwhelmed  with 
gifts  of  cigars,  cigarettes,  tobacco,  bananas,  and  other  articles  by  the 
cheering  citizens,  who  were  frantic  with  joy  over  the  coming  of  the 


Sum 
moned 

by 

Tele 
phone 


HOTEL  IN  SANTO  DOMINGO 

conquerors.  When  the  effervescent  people  could  ^be  partly  calmed, 
Ensign  Curtin  announced  that  he  had  come  to  demand  the  surrender 
of  the  port  and  city.  He  asked  to  see  the  civil  or  military  authori 
ties.  Some  of  the  former  were  present,  but  replied  that  they  could 
not  surrender  the  city,  the  act  being  the  function  of  the  military 
powers.  A  telephone  being  at  hand,  a  message,  by  order  of  the 
ensign,  was  sent  to  Colonel  San  Martin,  the  commandant,  notifying 
him  that  if  he  did  not  come  forward  and  surrender  the  city  in  the 
course  of  half  an  hour,  it  would  be  bombarded. 

Meanwhile  the  garrison  were  debating  among  themselves  what 
they  should  do.  The  peremptory  summons  from  Ensign  Curtin 
removed  their  doubts.  They  began  looting  the  stores  and  shops, 


CHAP,  cv          McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2003 


cramming  underwear  and  clothing  up  their  backs  and  in  the  rear  of 
their  trousers,  to  check  and  hold  the  bullets  which  they  were  certain 
the  Americans  would  send  after  them  as  they  scampered  off. 

Having  delivered  his  message,  Ensign  Curtin  returned  to  the 
Wasp  for  instructions.  Commander  C.  H.  Davis,  of  the  Dixie,  was 
soon  after  rowed  ashore,  where  a  note  was  handed  to  him  from  Colo 
nel  San  Martin,  asking  on  what  terms  he  demanded  the  surrender  of 
the  city.  The  answer  was  that  it  must  be  unconditional.  At  the 
request  of  the  commandant,  however,  the  terms  were  somewhat 
modified.  Then  the  garrison,  padded  enormously,  and  armored 
safely,  waddled  out  of  town,  leaving  150  rifles  and  14,000  rounds 
of  ammunition  behind. 

.  Lieutenant  Haines,  commanding  the  marines  of  the  Dixie,  landed 
and  hoisted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  custom-house  at  the  Port 
of  Ponce,  amid  tumultuous  cheering,  after  which  Lieutenant  Murdoch 
and  Surgeon  Heiskell  rode  to  the  city,  three  miles  distant,  where 
the  people  fairly  went  wild  with  joy,  as  they  danced  and  shouted : 

"Viva  los  Americanos!     Viva  Puerto  Rico  libre!" 

The  visitors  were  escorted  about  the  city  and  back  to  the  wharf 
by  a  large  body  of  uniformed  firemen,  whose  bosoms  swelled  with 
pride  over  the  honor.  At  the  beach,  General  Wilson  and  a  force  of 
soldiers  were  in  the  act  of  landing,  and  the  firemen  were  prouder 
than  ever  over  the  renewed  opportunity  of  showing  their  good  will. 
General  Wilson  was  the  first  army  officer  to  land,  and  he  made  his 
headquarters  at  the  custom-house.  There,  among  the  messages  re 
ceived  by  him  was  one  from  the  mayor  of  the  city,  who  said  he  was 
in  the  prison,  suffering  confinement  for  the  offence  of  singing  "  Yan 
kee  Doodle"  while  the  Spanish  soldiers  were  plating  themselves 
with  the  plunder  from  the  stores.  The  mayor  wanted  to  be  set  free, 
and  General  Wilson  ordered  that  his  wish  should  be  granted  with 
out  delay. 

The  transports  carrying  General  Miles'  troops,  and  convoyed  by 
the  Massac/msetts,  Cincinnati,  and  Wasp,  arrived  early  the  next  day 
(July  28),  and  receiving  news  of  the  surrender,  the  landing  of  troops 
was  begun.  x 

General  Miles  issued  a  proclamation,  assuring  the  people  that  justice 
and  humanity  should  be  shown  them  and  protection  guaranteed  to  all. 
He  hoped  the  change  of  allegiance  would  be  cheerfully  accepted,  for 
thereby  they  would  secure  prosperity  and  happiness  for  themselves. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


General 
Joy 


Pre 
mature 
Enthu 
siasm 


2004  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED   STATES     CHAP,  cv 

The  United  States  Government  had  no  purpose  of  interfering  with 
existing  laws  and  customs,  so  long  as  they  conformed  to  the  rules  of 

OUR 

COLONIAL    the  military  administration,  order  and  justice.     Our  aim  was  to  give 

EXPANSION  J 

1898  all  within  its  control  the  advantages  and  blessings  of  an  enlightened 
civilization.  These  timely  and  tactful  words  produced  the  happiest 
results. 

The  Government  authorities  were  much  impressed  by  the  friendly 

A         spirit  of  the  Porto  Ricans,  and  were  convinced  that  the  conquest  of 

Pr?jnis"    the  island  would  be  easily  effected.     Orders  were  issued  for  a  large 

Prospect  movement  of  troops  from  Tampa  to  Porto  Rico,  the  estimated  total 

force  which  was  to  be  engaged  in  the  operations  being  about  25,000. 

After  Guanica  was  occupied,  the  troops  began  their  march  next 

day  (July  27)  toward  Yauco,  an  inland  town  four  miles  away  on  the 

road  to  Ponce,  and  before  sunset  the  Stars  and  Stripes  was  flying 

over  the  city.  /  The  proclamation  of  the  Mayor  of  Yauco  deserves 

permanent  record : 

CITIZENS  : — To-day  the  citizens  of  Porto  Rico  assist    in    one   of 

her  most  beautiful  festivals.     The  sun  of  America  shines  upon  our 

mountains  and  valleys  this  day  of  July,  1898.     It  is  a  day  of  glori- 

A        ous  remembrance  for  each  son  of  this  beloved  isle,  because  for  the 

Procia-    ^rst  time  there  waves  over  it  the   flag   of   the    Stars,  planted   in 

mation     the  name  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States  of  America  by 

the  Major-General  of  the  American  army,  General  Miles. 

Porto.  Ricans,  we  are  by  the  miraculous  intervention  of  the  God 
of  the  just  given  back  to  the  bosom  of  our  mother  America,  in  whose 
waters  nature  placed  us  as  people  Of  America.  To  her  we  are  given 
back  in  the  name  of  her  Government  by  General  Miles,  and  we  must 
send  her  our  most  expressive  salutation  of  generous  affection  through 
our  conduct  toward  the  valiant  troops  represented  by  distinguished 
officers  and  con.manded  oy  the  illustrious  General  Miles. 

Citizens :  Long  live  the  Government  of  the  United  States  of 
America!  Hail  to  their  valiant  troops!  Hail,  Porto  Rico,  always 
American  1 

El  Alcalde,  FRANCISCO  MEGIA. 
YAUCO,  PORTO  Rico,  United  States  of  America. 

The  Alcalde  is  the  judge  who  administers  justice,  and  he  also 
presides  as  mayor  over  the  city  council. 

Porto  Rico  was  turning  ^American  at  a  rate  that  was  astounding. 
Instead  of  having  to  hunt  the  skulking  Spaniards,  the  inhabitants  did 


CHAP,  cv         McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2005 


the  work  for  the  Americans.     The  terrified  soldiers  were  continually     PERIOD 
brought  in,  their  captors  grasping  them  fiercely  by  the  nape  of  the 


ica. 


COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Quarter;  fart  fu^tt.          ?"  *~> 

SCENES  IN  SAN  JUAN,  PORTO  RICO 

neck  or  wherever  they  could  seize  them,  while  the  captives  held  back, 


20O6 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


The 
Ameri 
can 
Goal 


Effective 
Work 


scared  almost  out  of  their  senses.  They  were  pulled  out  of  hiding, 
places,  and  more  than  once  it  required  stern  action  on  the  part  of  the 
soldiers  to  prevent  the  lynching  of  the  helpless  prisoners. 

San  Juan,  however,  was  the  goal  of  the  invading  army.  The  ad 
vance  Tine  was  extended  to  Coamo,  and  the  towns  between  that  point 
and  Ponce  made  haste  to  surrender.  Arroyo,  Patillas,  Yabucoa,  Sali 
nas,  Santa  Isabel,  Adjuntas,  Penuelas,  Guayabal,  Guayama,  Juana 
Diaz,  strung  along  the  coast  and  the  path  from  Guanica  to  Coamo, 
eagerly  transferred  their  allegiance  from  Spain  to  the  United  States. 
The  American  flags  flashed  into  view  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  native 
bands  seemed  to  know  no  music  except  the  national  airs  of  the  United 
States.  The  garrison  town  of  Guayama  flung  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
to  the  breeze  and  began  cheering  as  soon  as  the  Americans  appeared. 
It  looked  as  if  the  invasion  and  conquest  of  Porto  Rico  was  to  be 
nothing  more  than  a  promenade  and  picnic  for  the  American  troops. 

It  is  a  safe  estimate  that  nine-tenths  of  the  Porto  Ricans  were 
anxious  for  annexation  to  the  United  States.  So  headlong  were  the 
people  in  submitting  that  it  began  to  look  as  if  the  whole  island 
would  surrender  without  firing  of  a  gun ;  but  it  proved  otherwise. 

At  the  opening  of  August,  our  forces  held  the  south  coast  and  the 
region  adjoining  it,  from  Guanica  on  the  west  to  Juana  Diaz,  nine 
miles  in  a  direct  line  beyond  Ponce.  The- fine  wagon  road  through 
these  towns,  stretching  away  to  San  Juan  on  the  northern  coast,  is 
very  crooked  because  it  follows  the  valleys  among  the  hill  ranges. 
There  was  reason  to  look  for  resistance  to  the  American  advance  at 
various  points  along  this  road,  and  it  was  reported  that  a  fight  might 
be  expected  at  Aybonito,  a  town  among  the  lower  mountains. 

Meanwhile  our  warships  were  continually  cruising  outside  the  har 
bor  of  San  Juan,  and  maintaining  a  rigid  blockade.  General  Brooke 
and  the  Third  Illinois  Volunteers  landed  at  Ponce,  August  I,  and 
reported  to  General  Wilson,  while  two  batteries  of  artillery  that  had 
arrived  from  Guanica  had  been  sent  forward  to  join  the  outposts, 
fourteen  miles  distant.  The  cable  office  was  opened  in  charge  of  the 
signal  corps,  the  post-office  was  set  in  motion,  and  the  telegraph  lines 
were  restored.  The  warships  in  the  harbor  at  that  time  were  the 
Cincinnati,  Massachusetts,  Columbia,  Terror,  and  St.  Louis.  The 
sanitary  conditions  were  so  far  superior  to  those  in  Cuba  that  the 
health  of  the  troops  continued  excellent. 

The  third  landing  of  American  troops  in  Porto  Rico  was  made  on 


CHAP.  CV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2007 


August  2,  at  Arroyo,  which  surrendered  with  the  same  haste  as  the 
other  towns,  and  extended  a  similar  overwhelming  welcome  to  the 
invaders,  who  on  the  afternoon  of  August  4  advanced  five  miles  from 
Juana  Diaz  to  a  bridge  across  the  Descalabrados  River,  which  formed 
an  important  strategic  position. 

The  first  real  fight  on  the  soil  of  Porto  Rico  took  place  on  the  5th, 
when  the  city  of  Guayama  was  captured.     The  city  contains  about 
16,000    inhabitants,    and 
ranks     next     in    impor 
tance,  on  the  south  coast, 
to  Ponce,  from  which  it 
is    thirty-six   jniles    dis 
tant.     It  is  five  miles  in 
land,  and  Arroyo    is    its 
seaport. 

General  Brooke,  hav 
ing  landed  at  Arroyo, 
needed  Guayama  as  a 
base  of  operations,  it 
being  the  only  important 
town  on  the  military  road 
between  Ponce  and  San 
Juan.  General  Brooke 
ordered  General  Hains  to 
occupy  the  town,  and  in 
the  morning  the  Fourth 
Ohio  and  Third  Illinois, 
the  former  in  the  van, 
were  ordered  out.  While 

passing  through  a  cut  in  the  mountain,  the  advance  were  greeted  with 
a  storm  of  Mauser  bullets  on  both  sides  of  the  mountain.  Most  of 
them  whistled  over  the  heads  of  the  Americans,  who  returned  the  fire 
and  fell  back.  The  main  body  hurried  forward,  firing  briskly  up  the 
hillsides,  until,  after  making  a  sharp  turn  in  the  road,  they  were  con 
fronted  by  a  barricade  thrown  across  the  road,  from  which  the  enemy 
kept  up  a  vicious  fusillade.  Each  side  of  the  road  was  lined  with 
barbed  wire  fences  ;  but  these  were  readily  cut  through  with  machetes, 
and  a  force  of  men  made  their  way  up  the  mountains  on  each  side  of 
the  road.  The  Spaniards  disappeared  as  if  by  magic. 


GENERAL  MACIAS,  SPANISH  COMMANDER  AT  SAN  JUAN 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Spanish 
Opposi 
tion 


2oo8  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 

PERIOD          Farther  on,  the  enemy  made  a  rally,  and  in  the  firing  that  followed 
—       three  Americans  were  wounded,  none  seriously.      The  stand  made 
&c°pA0NTioN   by  the  Spaniards  was  brief.     The  road  was  cleared,  and  at  eleven 
1898       o'clock  the  troops  entered  the  town.     Desultory  firing  followed  for  a 
half-hour,  when  a  flag  of  truce  was  displayed  and  the  town  surren 
dered  unconditionally. 

General  Hains  and  his  staff  rode  through  the  streets,  which  were 
silent  and  deserted,  the  people  apparently  frightened,  as  they  stealthily 
peeped   through    the  closed  windows.      Soon,  however,   their  fears 
departed,  they  ventured  forth,  and  the  air  rang  with  shouts  of  "  Viva 
"Viva    los   Americanos!"  many  threw  themselves  on   their  knees,  others 
Ameri-    embraced  and  kissed  the  soldiers,  and  the  scenes  enacted  in  Ponce  were 
canos!"    repeated.     When  the  excitement  had  partly  subsided,  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  was  hoisted  over  the  public  building,  amid  renewed  cheer 
ing.     General  Hains  stationed  guards  in  all  the  streets  entering  the 
town,  and  started  out  scouting  parties. 

At  this  juncture,  the  Spaniards,  who'  had  returned  to  the  hills, 
opened  a  bombardment  on  the  town ;  but  their  aim  was  so  poor  that 
only  one  man  was  wounded.  A  few  shots  from  the  dynamite-guns 
sent  the  enemy  fleeing  pell-mell,  and  they  caused  no  more  trouble. 
So  far  as  could  be  learned,  only  one  Spaniard  was  killed  and  several 
wounded.  Remembering  that  none  was  slain  on  our  side,  the  harm 
less  ch  iracter  of  all  this  shooting  was  astounding. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  a  general  advance  was  made  by  the  army 
of  invasion.  General  Wilson  moved  his  headquarters  to  Juana  Diaz; 
A  the  Second  and  Third  Wisconsin  regiments  advanced  to  the  support 
Advance  °^  *ne  Sixteenth  Pennsylvania  Regiment  on  the  Descalabros  River; 
and  General  Schwan,  with  the  Eleventh  Regulars  and  a  portion  of  the 
Nineteenth  California  Regiment  and  Thorpe's  light  batteries,  moved 
to  Yauco,  his  objective  point  being  Arecibo  on  the  northern  coast. 
He  followed  the  west  coast  road,  touching  at  Mayaguez,  at  which 
point  the  Spaniards  had  artillery.  (A  study  of  the  map  is  neces 
sary  to  understand  the  military  movements  in  Porto  Rico.)  Pre 
vious  to  this,  Adjuntas  and  Utuado  had  been  captured  without  re 
sistance. 

By  night  of  the  7th,  General  Wilson's  headquarters  were  five  miles 
east  of  Juana  Diaz.  His  intention  was  to  drive  the  enemy  from 
Coamo,  and  then  attack  them  at  Aybonito,  General  Brooke  meanwhile 
flanking  the  enemy  from  Cavey  and  forming  a  junction  with  General 


TOMB  OF  COLUMBUS,    IN  THE  CATHEDRAL,   HAVANA 


CHAP.   CV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2009 


Wilson.      After  the  reduction  of  Aybonito,  it  was  believed  that  the     v^{(0 
road  to  San  Juan  would  present  no  serious  obstruction.  ~ 

On  the  morning  of  August  9  the  town  of  Coamo  was  captured, 
after  a  brisk  fight,  in  which  the  Spanish  were  driven  out  of  their 
trenches,  with  the  loss  of  an  unknown  number,  that  of  the  Americans 
being  six  slightly  wounded.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  in  a 
skirmish  five  miles  beyond  Guayama,  200  Ohio  troops  were  ambushed, 
and  must  have  suffered  severely,  had  not  a  dynamite-gun  been 


l8g8 


OLD  GATEWAY.  SANTO  DOMINQO 


brought  into  action.     This  caused  a  panic  among  the  Spaniards,  who 
fled  after  having  wounded  five  of  the  Fourth  Ohio  Volunteers. 

General  Brooke  advanced  from  Arroyo  early  on  the  1 2th.  Passing 
Guayama  at  noon,  and  marching  to  the  place  where  the  Ohio  troops 
had  their  fight,  he  found  the  Spaniards  still  intrenched  and  the 
Americans  preparing  to  attack  them.  At  this  moment,  Lieutenant 
McLaughlin  of  the  Signal  Corps  galloped  up  to  General  Brooke,  with  a 
despatch  from  General  Miles,  saying  he  had  been  notified  from  Wash 
ington  of  the  suspension  of  hostilities.  Officers  and  men  were 


Match 
of  Gen 
eral 
Brooke 


2010 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


News  of 
Peace 


keenly  disappointed,  but  fighting  in  Porto  Rico  was  ended.  Peace 
had  come,  and  the  island  so  long  misruled  by  Spain  passed  under 
the  beneficent  care  of  the  United  States. 

The  last  naval  fight  of  the  war  in  Cuban  waters  opened  on  the 
afternoon  of  August  12,  when  Manzanillo,  on  the  south  coast  of  San 
tiago  province,  Cuba,  was  bombarded.  The  bombardment,  which 
lasted  twelve  hours,  was  conducted  by  the  second-rate  protected 

cruiser     Newark,    which 
lay  five    thousand   yards 

off-shore    and    threw    6- 

• 

inch  shells,  and  the 
gunboats  Suwanee,  Osce- 
ola,  Hist,  and  Alvarado, 
which  used  4-inch  guns, 
6-pounders,  and  guns  of 
lesser  size.  At  five 
o'clock  there  was  a  lull 
for  an  hour,  after  which 
the  Newark  leisurely 
used  her  6- inch  guns 
until  daylight.  Hardly 
was  it  light,  when  white 
flags  were  seen  fluttering 
in  every  part  of  the  town. 
Then  a  small  boat  ap 
proached  the  Newark, 
flying  a  flag  of  truce. 
Two  Spanish  o  ffi  c  e  r  s 
MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  R.  BROOKE,  u.  s.  A.  went  aboard  the  Newark, 

saying  they  had  been  in 
structed  to  notify  Captain  Goodrich  that  a  peace  protocol  had  been 
signed  the  day  before  by  the  representatives  of  Spain  and  the  United 
States,  and  hostilities  had  ended.  A  despatch  to  that  effect  from 
General  Greely  for  Captain  Goodrich  had  been  received  during  the 
night.  An  attempt  was  made  by  the  Spaniards  to  deliver  the  message 
to  Captain  Goodrich,  but  the  boat  was  fired  on  and  the  messenger  made 
haste  to  return  to  the  city.  Thus  terminated  hostilities  in  Porto 
Rico. 

One  of  the  items  of  news  which  made  the  celebration  of  July  4, 


CHAP,  cv          McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


ion 


1898,  memorable  was  the  capture,  briefly  referred  to  elsewhere,  of  "the      P^?JIO 
islands  officially  known  as  the  Mariannes,  and  more  popularly  as  the       — 


COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1808 


ntrance    to       Ia2a,    ^euCuecjop, 

SCENES  IN  CIENFUEQOS,  CUBA 


Ladrones.     The  advance  guard  of  our  expedition  to  the  Philippines 
paused  long  enough   on  the  way  to  take  formal  possession  of  the 


2OI2 


HISTORY    OF,  THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1808 


An  As 
tonished 
Garrison 


The 
Manila 
Expedi 
tions 


group,  and  to  raise  there  the  American  flag  (June  21)  above  the 
ruined  battlements  of  Fort  Santa  Cruz,  on  Guam,  or  Guajan,  the 
principal  island.  The  Charleston  fired  twenty-one  guns  amid  the 
cheers  of  twenty-five  hundred  American  soldiers,  proclaiming  that 
Guam  was  ours. 

There  was  a  grim  humor  in  the  capture  of  this  group.  The  gar 
rison  were  in  total  ignorance  of  the  war  existing  between  Spain  and 
the  United  States,  and  when  a  number  of  shots  were  fired  into  the 
empty  fort  by  Captain  Glass  of  the  CJiarleston,  the  sleepy  officials 
supposed  they  were  meant  for  a  salute,  and  came  outj  bowing  and 
smiling,  to  receive  their  visitors.  The  Spanish  garrison,  officers  and 
men,  were  disarmed  and  taken  to  Manila  as  prisoners  of  war,  while 
the  native  soldiers  were  paroled  and  set  free.  Being  wholly  unpre 
pared  for  resistance,  Jose  Marina  y  Vega,  the  governor,  made  none, 
and  was  one  of  the  prisoners  taken  to  Manila.  The  news  of  this 
exploit  reached  this  country  on  July  3. 

These  beautiful  and  fertile  islands  were  discovered  by  the  great 
Magellan,  on  his  way  to  the  Philippines,  where  he  died.  The  name 
Ladrones  was  giving  to  them  because  of  the  thieving  propensities  of 
the  natives.  They  number  twelve  or  fifteen.  Guam,  the  largest, 
has  a  population  of  12,000,  and  Agana,  the  capital  city,  about  4,000. 
The  population  of  the  entire  group  is  estimated  at  26,000. 

The  Newport,  with  General  Merritt  on  board,  arrived  at  Manila,  July 
25,  having  come  alone  and  at  full  speed  from  Honolulu,  where  she 
left  the  other  United  States  ships.  The  troopship  Indiana  remained 
to  repair  her  machinery,  her  companions  being  the  Morgan  City,  the 
City  of  Para,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Valencia,  with  about  4,ooc  soldiers 
on  board.  All  were  ordered  to  follow  the  Newport  as  soon  as  pos  • 
sible.  These  formed  the  third  Manila  expedition,  under  command  of 
General  Arthur  Me  Arthur,  which  sailed  from  San  Francisco  on  June 
27,  and  reached  Cavite  July  31.  The  fourth  expedition,  consisting 
of  the  steamships  Pent  and  City  of  Pueblo,  with  General  E.  S.  Otis 
in  command,  left  San  Francisco  July  15,  with  1,700  troops.  By  the 
close  of  the  month,  General  Merritt  had  with  him  a  force  numbering 
from  10,000  to  12,000  men. 

On  the  morning  of  July  29,  the  Americans  advanced  from  their 
base  at  Cavite  and  occupied  an  old  camp,  from  which  the  insurgents 
were  withdrawn  at  the  request  of  General  Greene.  •  Thetvench  being 
found  untenable,  our  forces  advanced  one  hundred  yards  and  threw 


2014 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Spanish 

ty  ff~r 

tiveness 


up  a  line  of  breastworks  extending  from  the  Manila  road  to  the  beach, 

a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards.     An  old  Capuchin  chapel 

stood  in  the  cen 
tre  of  the  line.  Oi 
each  side  of  this 
chapel  were  posted 
two  guns,  on  a 
high  bank  nearly 
a  half  mile  from 
the  Spanish  breast 
works  in  front  of 
Malate,  which  is  a 
suburb  of  Manila, 
on  the  shore  road 
from  Cavite,  and 
about  a  mile  from 
the  old  town. 
There  was  some  desultory  fighting  while  the  Americans  were 

building  their  breast 
works,  and  work  on  the 

trench  continued  July  30 

day    and    night    without 

interruption,    being    fin 
ished  on  the  last  day  of 

the    month.      At   ten 

o'clock  that  night  a  heavy 

fire  opened  all  along  the 

Spanish  line,  to  which  a 

vigorous  reply  was  made. 

The  Spanish  had  the  ex- 
excellent  aim,  the  bullets 

pattering   all   about    the 

American    line.     In   a 

short    time   the    pickets 

posted  on  the  right  and 

front    came   in  with  the 

report  that  the  Spaniards 

were  attempting  to  turn  COLONEL   OHN  JACOB  ASTOR 


CHAP,  cv         McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  2015 

the  right  flank.     Thiey  were  aided  by  striking  a  gap  in  the  siege-      PERIOD 
line,  caused  by  the  advance  of  our  troops,  and  by  the  failure    of        — 
the    insurgents  to  hold  a  swampy  place   filled  with  bamboos  and    ^°p°^ion 
scrub.      They  thus   gained  a  cross-fire  upon  the  Americans,   who       I898 
for  a  considerable  time  were  in  grave  danger ;  but  the  Tenth  Pennsyl 
vania  and  the  Utah  battery  of  General  Greene's  brigade  held  their 
ground   until  reinforcements  arrived,  when  the  ammunition  of  the  Defeat  of 
Pennsylvanians  was  nearly  exhausted.     The  regulars  began  volley      iards 
firing  at  once.     The  Spaniards  were  driven  back  with  heavy  loss, 
that  of  the  Americans  being  9  killed  and  47  wounded.     A  terrific 
rain-storm  raged  during  the  battle. 

Admiral  Dewey,  on  Sunday  morning,  August  7,  demanded  the 
surrender  of  Manila,  his  ultimatum  being  sent  through  Captain  Chi- 
chester,  the  senior  officer  of  the  British  fleet  stationed  there.  It 
reached  General  Jaudenes,  the  new  captain-general,  a  few  minutes  past 
noon.  The  Spaniards  were  warned  by  Admiral  Dewey  to  remove 
all  their  women,  children,  sick,  and  wounded  to  places  of  safety 
within  forty-eight  hours,  since  he  intended  to  suit  his  convenience 
about  bombarding  the  city  at  any  time  he  chose  after  the  expiration 
of  the  period  named.  The  neutral  fleet  were  notified  at  the  same 
time  that  the  stretch  of  water  they  occupied  was  needed.  General 
Merritt  joined  in  the  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  city.  The 
Spaniards  requested  to  be  allowed  another  day  in  which  to  remove 
their  sick,  wounded,  and  non-combatants,  and  the  request  was  granted. 
This  made  the  hout  for  opening  the  bombardment  at  noon  on  Wed. 
nesday,  August  10. 

The  neutral  fleets  left  their  anchorage  on  Tuesday  morning  and 
arranged  themselves  according  to  their  sympathies.    The  English  war 
ships,  the  Immortality  the  flagship,  the  Ipliigenia,  Linnet,  and  Swift,    English  ' 

and   the     Japanese   cruiser   Naniwa   steamed   across    the   bay  and   _   an<* 

J  Japanese 

anchored  with  our  fleet.     The  German  cruisers  Irene  and  Cormoran     Friend- 
accompanied  the  ..ships  on  which  the  foreign  residents  had  taken        '  lp 
refuge  to  Mariveles.     The  remaining  German  warships,  the  Kaiser, 
flagship,   the  Kaiserin  Augusta,  and  the  Prinz    Wilhelm,  and  the 
French  flagship  Bayard  and  cruiser  Pascal,  passed  a  short  distance 
north  of  their  old  positions  and  anchored  in  a  group  by  themselves. 
Many  an  eye  kindled  when  the  British  and  Japanese  warships  showed 
their  comradeship  in  this  unmistakable  manner. 

The  American  vessels   "  stripped  for  the  fight"  on  Tuesday,  neg- 


I1 


CHAP,  cv         McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


2017 


lecting  not  the  slightest  precaution.  It  was  found  that  the  army 
was  not  fully  prepared,  and  the  bombardment  did  not  begin  until 
half -past  nine  o'clock,  Saturday  morning,  August  1 3,  at  which  hour 
the  Olympia  opened  fire  from  her  starboard  battery  on  Malate.  The 
first  two  shots  fell  short,  but  were  answered  with  cheers  from  each 
ship.  The  Petrel,  Raleigh,  and  the  little  Callao  followed,  each  aim 
ing  at  Malate.  It  seemed  intentional  that  all  these  shots  failed  to 
reach  the  enemy, 
who,  however,  re 
fused  to  accept 
the  hint  and  sur 
render. 

.  Then  the  Am 
erican  aim  im 
proved,  and  the 
shell  began  drop 
ping  in  the  Ma 
late  fort  and 
along  the  line 
of  intrenchments 
beyond ;  but  no 
reply  was  made. 
The  artillery  in 
front  of  Malate 

kept  up  a  brisk  pounding,  amid  the  squalls  of  rain,  which  often 
obscured  the  ships  and  defences.  At  noon  the  demand  for  sur 
render  was  repeated  by  means  of  the  international  code,  and,  pend 
ing  a  reply,  Admiral  Dewey  ordered  the  crews  of  the  ships  to 
dinner  by  watches.  M.  Andr6,  the  Belgian  consul,  acted  as  mes 
senger  on  his  steam  launch  between  the  opposing  forces,  all  his 
negotiations  being  oral  and  unofficial,'  both  sides  relying  wholly 
upon  his  accuracy  in  transmitting  the  message's.  After  a  long  wait, 
his  launch  steamed  at  full  speed  from  Manila  to  the  Olympia, 
which  immediately  after  displayed  the  signal: 
"The  enemy  has  surrendered." 

Then  came  the  shouting.  A  white  flag  appeared  over  the  Luneta 
fort,  although  the  Spanish  flag  still  flew.  Two  battalions  of  the 
Second  Oregon  Regiment,  waiting  on  a  steamer,  headed  for  shore, 
General  Merritt  having  preceded  them  in  a  small  boat.  Flag- Lieu- 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


The 

Bom 
bard 
ment 


The  Sui> 
render 


2018 


HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Raising 

of  the 

Stars 

and 

Stripes 


Comple 
tion  of 

the  Sur 
render 


tenant  Brumby,  in  charge  of  the  largest  flag  of  the  Olympia,  quickly 
landed  with  another  boat,  and  with  several  companions  made  straight 
for  the  staff  in  front  of  the  cathedral,  where  a  large  crowd  of  Span- 
iards  quickly  gathered.  Many  of  them  wept  when  th.e  Spanish  flag 
came  down  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  took  its  place.  It  so  happened 
that  an  army  band  at  that  moment  approached  at  the  head  of  the 
troops  marching  from  Camp  Dewey,  and  struck  up  "  The  Star- 
Spangled  Banner,"  unaware  of  the  flag-raising  going  on  just  around 
^  the  corner.  It 

i  w  a  s    a    p  1  e  a  s- 

i  n  g  coincidence 
which  brought 
forth  more 
cheers.* 

Meanwhile  the 
army  had  march 
ed  steadily  along 
the  shore,  start 
ing  soon  after  the 


Iroix 


x   "|3-ridge 
ItUtttila  . 


firing  began, 
and  two  brigades, 

advancing  in  columns,  attacked  the  Malate  fort.  The  Spaniards  re 
plied  viciously,  killing  12  Americans  and  wounding  39,  some  of  whom 
afterward  died.  When  the  city  surrendered  our  troops  continued 
their  advance  toward  the  city.  At  night,  Manila  was  fully  occupied 
by  our  forces.  The  defiant  Captain-General  Augustin  had  made 
haste  to  flee  on  an  accommodating  German  cruiser,  first  turning  over 
his  command  to  General  Jaudenes.  The  Spaniards  surrendered  with 
the  honors  of  war,  the  officers  retaining  their  side-arms.  When  Gen- 
neral  Merritt  landed  he  was  escorted  by  an  Oregon  company,  a  com 
pany  from  the  same  State  receiving  the  surrender,  while  still  another 
policed  the  city  that  night.  Nearly  7,000  Spanish  soldiers  gave  up 
their  arms,  consisting  chiefly  of  Mauser  rifles.  The  stands  of  arms 

*  From  the  moment  Admiral  Dewey  hoisted  his  flag  over  the  Philippines,  the  sun  never 
set  on  American  territory.  When  this  historical  event  took  place,  the  sun  rose  in  Maine 
before  it  set  in  the  islands,  the  day  then  being  about  fourteen  hours  long,  with  the 
difference  in  the  time  a  little  over  twelve  hours.  On  December  21,  the  sun  sets  in  the 
Philippines  before  it  rises  in  Maine.  Taking  into  account  the  dawn  preceding  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  sun,  and  the  twilight  following  its  setting,  the  above  statement  is  full? 
warranted. 


CHAP.  CV 


McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2019 


taken  numbered  1 2,000,  while  the  rounds  of  ammunition  ran  into  the 
millions.  Thus  Admiral  Dewey  opened  the  war  with  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  victories  and  closed  it  with  a  second,  without  the  loss  of  a 
man  in  either.  The  only  casualties  on  the  American  side  were  the 
slight  losses  of  the  army. 

General  Merritt  issued  a  proclamation  "announcing  a  military  gov 
ernment  for  Manila.  He  declared  further  that  the  Americans  had 
not  come  to  wage  war  on  the  people,  but  would  protect  them  in  their 
personal  and  religious  rights.  Until  further  notice,  while  the  island 
of  Luzon  would  receive  a  military  occupation,  all  laws  relating  to 
personal  rights,  local  societies,  and  crime,  unless  they  conflicted  with 
the  necessary  military  laws,  would  continue  in  force.  Manila  only 
was  surrendered,  and  the  message  from  Washington  announcing  a 
suspension  of  hostilities  reached  General  Merritt  on  the  afternoon 
of  August  1 6.  * 

In  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  Hawaiian  annexation  resolu 
tion,  President  McKinley  appointed  a  commission  of  five  men  to 
consider  all  the  questions  involved  in  the  adjustment  of  governmental 
relations  with  our  new  territory.  They  were  President  Dole,  of 
Hawaii ;  Judge  Frear,  of  the  Hawaiian  Supreme  Court ;  United  States 
Senators  Morgan  and  Cullom,  and  Mr.  Hitt,  chairman  of  the  House 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs. 

The  news  of  Hawaii's  admission  into  the  Union  was  taken  to 
Honolulu  by  the  Coptic,  and  caused  wild  rejoicing  through  the  islands. 
Cannon  were  fired,  flags  displayed  everywhere,  while  shouts  and 
hurrahs  filled  the  air.  A  salute  of  one  hundred  guns  was  fired  on 
the  Executive  Building  grounds,  and  the  fire  and  factory  whistles 
added  to  the  din,  while  President  Dole,  his  face  radiant  with  delight, 

*  Competition  has  reduced  the  cost  of  communication  between  New  York  and  London 
to  moderate  figures,  but  where  there  is  no  competition,  or  little  business,  the  expense 
became  formidable.  Ten  words  sent  from  New  York  to  Manila  cost  $25.50,  though  news 
paper  despatches  paid  only  about  half  that  rate.  Such  a  message  travels  20,  ooo  miles,  and 
is  received  and  transmitted  over  a  score  of  different  lines  or  branches.  Thus,  starting 
at  New  York,  it  is  flashed  to  Halifax,  then  to  Heart's  Content,  Newfoundland,  where  it 
plunges  to  the  bottom  of  the  Atlantic,  instantly  coming  up  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  whence 
it  is  forwarded  to  London,  where  there  are  two  routes  to  the  East.  The  first  is  across 
the  Channel  and  overland  to  Marseilles,  or  by  the.  all-water  course  to  Lisbon,  then  through 
the  Mediterranean  to  Alexandria,  across  Egypt,  through  the  Arabian  Sea  to  Bombay, 
over  India,  across  the  Bay  of  Bengal  to  Singapore,  along  the  coast  to  Hong-Kong,  and 
finally  across  the  China  Sea  to  Manila.  This  is  the  shorter  route,  the  other  taking  the 
message  across  Russia  and  Siberia  to  Vladivostock,  and  then  along  the  Chinese  coast  to 
Hong-Kong. 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 


General 
Merritt's 
Procla 
mation 


Hawaii's 
Admis 
sion  to 

the 
Union 


COPYRIGHT    1898. 


RAISING  THE  FLAG  AT  HONOLULU 

FROM   THE  ORIGINAL   DRAWING  BY   J.   STEEPLE   DAVIS 


CHAP.  CV 


McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2021 


PERIOD 


l898 


was  congratulated  on  every  hand.      In  their  enthusiasm,  the  happy 
multitude  made  repeated  calls  for  Dr.  John  S.   McGrew,  known  as 
"  The  Father  of  Annexation."      For  more  than  twenty  years  under 
the  monarchy  he  had  raised  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  his  house 
every  morning.      In  response,  he  took  the  baton  from  the  leader  of 
the  band  and  led  while  it  played  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner."     The 
rejoicings  were  continued 
far   into   the  night,    and 
were  participated    in   by 
thousands. 

On  August  12  the  Ha 
waiian  flag  was  lowered 
at  Honolulu,  amid  the 
roar  of  saluting  cannon, 
arid  the  flag  of  the  United 
States  was  raised  in  its 
place.  The  great  repub 
lic  had  absorbed  the  less 
er,  and  another  step  had 
been  taken  by  the  lordly 
Anglo-  Saxon  in  the 
march  of  universal  em 
pires.  The  national  an 
them,  "  Hawaii  Ponoi," 
was  played  for  the  last 
time,  and  to  the  native 
Hawaiians  the  proceed 
ings  were  more  in  the 
nature  of  funeral  cere 

monies  than  of  rejoicing,  for  they  marked  the  death  of  the  little 
Pacific  republic,  that  had  attained  its  position  through  great  trial  and 
tribulation. 

There  was  no  speechmaking  except  a  few  dignified  words  from 
Minister  Sewall.  The  Rev.  G.  L.  Pearson  made  the  last  prayer  of 
the  missionary  government,  and  Minister  Sewall  addressed  President 
Dole: 

"  MR.  PRESIDENT  :  —  I  present  you  a  certified  copy  of  a  joint  reso 
lution  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  approved  by  the  Presi- 
dent  July  7,  1898,  entitled,  'Joint  resolution  to  provide  for  annexation  Address 


SANFORD  B.   DOLE,  LAST  PRESIDENT  OF    THE    HAWAIIAN 
REPUBLIC 


2022 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cv 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1808 


End  of 
the  Cere 
monies 


Later 
Informa 
tion 

Regard 
ing 
Hawaii 


of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  to  the  United  States.'  This  joint  resolu 
tion  accepts,  ratifies,  and  confirms  on  the  part  of  the  United  States 
the  cession  formally  consented  to  and  approved  by  the  Republic 
of  Hawaii." 

President  Dole  in  a  few  words  yielded  the  sovereignty  and  public 
property,  and  Minister  Sewall  accepted  it.  The  Philadelphia  was 
waiting  in  the  harbor,  and,  receiving  the  signal,  fired  a  salute,  twenty- 
one  guns;  the  last  national  salute  of  the  Hawaiian  flag  was  fired,  the 
flag  fluttered  downward,  and  was  caught  and  folded,  amid  the  weak, 
tremulous  strains  of  the  "  Hawaii  Ponoi"  (all  the  native  members  of 
the  band  fled  and  refused  to  take  part  in  the  sad  ceremony),  and  up 
went  the  American  flag,  let  it  be  hoped  never  to  be  lowered/- 

Congress  passed  a  bill  creating  Hawaii  a  Territory,  and  the  act  was 
approved  April  30,  1900.  It  is  represented  in  Congress  by  a  Delegate, 
who  is  elected  biennially  by  the  people.  The  new  Territorial  govern 
ment  came  into  official  existence  at  Honolulu,  June  14,  1900,  and  the 
first  legislature  began  its  sessions  in  the  same  city,  February  20,  1901. 
The  Senate  contains  fifteen  members,  whose  terms  are  four  years, 
while  the  thirty  members  of  the  House  hold  o  "fice  two  years.  The 

*  It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  first  step  in  the  annexation  of  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific  was  taken  in  1813.  In  another  part  of  this  work,  the  story  of  the  gallant  Essex 
has  been  told,  under  her  commander,  Captain  David  Porter,  father  of  Admiral  D.  D. 
Porter,  and  instructor  of  Cadet  D.  G.  Farragut.  Doubling  Cape  Horn,  and  entering  the 
Pacific,  Captain  Porter  played  woful  havoc  among  the  English  whaling  fleet,  and  depleted 
the  Essex  of  officers  and  sailors'in  order  to  take  charge  of  his  numerous  prizes.  Greatly 
in  need  of  a  depot,  Captain  Porter  and  his  fleet  anchored,  on  October  25,  1813,  in  a  spa 
cious  bay  on  the  island  of  Nukahiva,  the  largest  of  the  Washington  group,  or  the  Marque 
sas  Islands  in  the  South  Seas.  He  made  friends  with  the  chiefs  and  natives,  established 
the  settlement  of  Madisonville,  which  in  its  palmiest  days  consisted  of  six  houses,  asail 
and  rigging  loft,  a  rope-walk,  a  cooperage,  a  bakery,  quarters  for  the  captain  and  officersj 
and  a  hospital  and  guardhouse.  The  use  of  gunpowder  enabled  Captain  Porter  to  bring 
the  neighboring  tribes  under  submission.  A  defensive  work,  Fort  Madison,  was  com 
pleted,  and  on  November  19,  1813,  the  flag  of  the  United  States  was  hoisted  over  the 
fort,  and  possession  of  Nukahiva  taken  by  the  United  States  under  the  name  of  Madison 
Island.  This  beautiful  and  fertile  island  is  eighteen  miles  long  and  ten  broad,  and  at 
that  time  contained  a  population  of  60,000.  Captain  Porter  sailed  away  with  one  squad 
ron  of  his  fleet  December  9,  1813,  leaving  Lieutenant  Gamble,  of  the  marines,  military 
governor,  and  with  him  were  two  midshipmen  and  twenty  men.  The  natives  became 
obstreperous,  and  the  sailors  mutinous  ;  bloodshed  followed,  and  on  May  9  Lieutenant 
Gamble  set  sail  for  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  The  annexation  of  Nukahiva,  though  valid  at 
the  time  as  a  war  measure,  lapsed  through  failure  to  ratify  ;  and,  with  the  rest  of  the  Mar 
quesas,  the  island  passed  under  the  French  protectorate. 


CHAP,  cv      McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2023 


legislature  meets  biennially,  and  its  sessions  are  limited  to  sixty  days. 
The  governor  and  secretary  of  Hawaii  are  appointed  by  the  President 
and  hold  office  four  years.  The  governor,  with  the  consent  of  the 
Senate,  appoints  an  attorney-general,  treasurer,  commissioner  of  public 
lands,  commissioner  of  agriculture  and  forestry,  superintendent  of 
public  works,  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  auditor  and  deputy, 
surveyor,  high  sheriff,  and  members  of  the  board  of  health,  public 
instruction,  prison  inspectors,  etc.  All  of  these  must  be  citizens  of 
Hawaii  and  they  hold  office  four  years.  The  Territory  is  a  Federal 
Judicial  District,  with  a  district  judge,  district  attorney  and  marshal, 
all  of  whom  are  appointed  by  the  President. 

The  census  of  1897  showed  the  total  population  to  be  109,020, 
divided  as  follows:  Hawaiians,  31,019;  mixed  Hawaiians,  8,485; 
Japanese,  24,407;  Chinese,  21,616;  Portuguese,  15,100;  Americans, 
3,086;  British,  2,250,  with  the  remainder  consisting  mostly  of  Germans, 
French,  Norwegians,  South  Sea  Islanders.  The  annexation  of  the 
islands  has  caused  an  increase  in  the  American  population. 

The  first  census  by  the  United  States  was  taken  in  1900,  with  the 
following  results:  Hawaii  Island,  46,843;  Kauai  Island,  20,562; 
Nihau  Island,  172;  Maui  Island,  25,416;  Molokai  Island  and  Lanai 
Island,  2,504;  Oahu  Island,  58,504;  total,  154,001.  The  same 
census  showed  that  Honolulu  contained  39,306  persons.  In  1896, 
there  were  26,362  Roman  Catholics;  23,773  Protestants;  44,306 
Buddhists;  4,886  Mormons,  etc.,  with  about  10,000  not  classified. 


PERIOp 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1808 


Census 
of  1897 


Census 
of  1900 


Tttorta    (Dajrtle,     Havana.  Cuba,. 

CHAPTER    CVI 

McKINLE  Y '  5   FIRS  T  AD  MINIS  TRA  TION—  1 897- 1 90 1 
(CONTINUED} 

OUR  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  (Concluded) 

Peace 

[Authorities  •  It  was  once  remarked  by  Sidney  Smith  that  it  required  a  surgical  opera 
tion  to  open  the  way  for  the  entrance  of  a  joke  into  a  Scotsman's  brain.  Defeat  after 
defeat  was  necessary  to  convince  Spain  that  no  harebrained  scheme  of  her  own  Sancho 
Panza  was  more  grotesque  than  the  attempt  of  that  country  to  measure  her  strength  with 
our  own  ;  yet  she  struggled  on  after  the  destruction  of  her  fleets,  the  capture  of  her  cities, 
and  the  crushing  of  her  armies.  She  clung  blindly  to  hope,  even  while  an  invincible 
armament  was  making  ready  to  desolate  her  cities  on  the  Mediterranean  coast.  But  a 
glimmer  of  common  sense  comes  at  last,  and  the  proud  nation  meekly  asks  her  mighty 
conqueror  upon  what  terms  the  boon  of  peace  can  be  secured.  The  answer  is  straight 
forward,  accompanied  by  the  notice  that  the  United  States  will  tolerate  no  haggling,  and 
that  Spain's  policy  of  "  manafia"  will  not  avail  when  dealing  with  us.  It  is  hard  for  so 
wily,  so  adroit,  and  so  treacherous  a  people  to  be  honest,  but  when  no  choice  is  left,  they 
perforce  yield.  The  great  North  American  nation  has  always  been  magnanimous  in  deal 
ing  with  the  defeated,  and  Spain  has  fared  far  better  at  her  hands  than  would  have  been 
the  case  had  she  been  compelled  to  bow  her  neck  to  the  yoke  of  a  European  master. 
Our  authorities  are  the  official  actions  of  the  two  governments,  and  the  current  records  of 
the  momentous  events.  ] 

[HE  end  was  not  only  inevitable,  but  close  at  hand. 
The  pace  set  by  the  United  States'  forces  was 
the  one  that  kills.  Spain  was  crumbling  to  frag 
ments  under  the  terrific  blows  that  descended 
upon  her,  and  the  longer  she  kept  up  the  farce 
of  resistance  the  deeper  would  be  her  humiliation 
and  the  more  crushing  her  penalty. 

Those  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  Spain  could  not 

fail  to  see  the  truth,  but   they  had  to  face  a  grave  peril  at  home. 

Carlos,  the  pretender  to  the  throne,  announced  his  intention  of  as- 


fttdtrUK   City,  ttUryland. 


2O26 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cvr 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


sailing  the  Government,  if  peace  was  made  upon  the  condition  of 
surrendering  any  part  of  the  Spanish  possessions,  when  in  point 
of  fact  the  United  States  would  not  listen  to  a  proposition  for 
peace  upon  any  other  terms. 

And  so  the  defeats  went  on  for  a  while  longer,  while  the  air 
throbbed  with  rumors  of  peace  which  for  a  time  proved  to  be  nothing 
but  rumors.  Captain- General  Augustin  was  ordered  to  hold  fast  to 


A  Deli- 
Question 


CORONA  CIGAR   FACTORY,    HAVANA 

Manila,  with  the  hope  that  the  city  would  still  be  Spanish  after  the 
fighting  was  over;  and  it  was  declared  that  since  Porto  Rico  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  war,  it  was  without  justification  for  this 
country  to  make  claim  to  that  island  ;  but,  as  has  been  shown,  Gen 
eral  Augustin  fled  from  Manila  before  the  surrender. 

The  situation  for  Spain  became  so  critical  that  about  the  middle 
of  July^her  authorities  decided  to  make  overtures  looking  to  peace. 
A  delicate  question  of  procedure  had  to  be  settled,  namely,  how  and 
by  whom  Spain  would  transmit  the  expression  of  her  wish.  While 
hostilities  were  going  on,  she  could  not  appeal  directly  to  the  United 
States,  while,  in  acting  through  a  foreign  intermediary,  she  had  to 


CHAP,  cvi        McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION  2027 


be  careful  to  avoid  anything  suggesting  foreign  intervention,  which  PERIOD 

our  Government  would  not  tolerate.  ~ 

France,    having    been    intrusted  'with    Spanish    interests    in   the  EXPANSION 

United  States,  was  decided  upon  as  the  medium,  provided  such  offices  l898 
were  acceptable  to  our  Government.      Assurances  were  given  that  the 
plan  was  agreeable,  and  M.  Cambon,  the  French  ambassador  to  the 

United  States,  so  notified  M.  Delcasse,  the  French  Minister  of  For-  M-  Cam- 

bon  the 
eign  Affairs,  whereupon  the  Madrid  Cabinet  transmitted  to  the  latter  Agent  of 

the  message  which  it  desired  forwarded  to  Washington.    .  M.  Delcasse 
sent  it  to  M.  Cambon  with  orders  to  submit  it  to  the  President. 

The  question  was,  in  substance,  whether  the  United  States  was 
willing  to  consider  proposals  for  ending  the  war  and  arranging  terms 
of  peace.  The  matter  was  submitted  to  President  McKinley  by  the 
French  ambassador  on  the  afternoon  of  July  30.  The  answer  was 
made  that  as  a  basis  for  peace  negotiations,  Spain  must  first  with 
draw  completely  and  absolutely  her  troops  and  her  sovereignty  fron 
the  Western  hemisphere,  and  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  must  be  volun 
tarily  evacuated,  unassisted  by  the  United  States ;  and  that  Manila 
must  be  surrendered  to  the  American  forces.  This  accomplished, 
we  should  be  ready  to  make  known  our  policy  regarding  Spain's  pos 
sessions  in  the  East. 

The  traditional  course  of  Spain  is  to  haggle ;  but  she  knew  the  char 
acter  of  the  people  with  whom  she  was  dealing,  and  understood  that  Spain's 
her  choice  was  between  accepting  our  terms  or  having  the  war  go  on 
with  the  certainty  that  the  conditions  ultimately  imposed  upon  her 
would  be  more  severe.  So  it  was  that  she  accepted  our  terms  with 
out  reservation.* 

*  In  olden  times  the  victor  despoiled  his  enemy  and  took  all  he  could  carry  away.  Now 
he  respects  private  property,  but  expects  to  make  the  conquered  nation  pay  all  that  it  cost 
to  conquer  it.  When  Prussia,  in  1866,  had  defeated  Austria  in  a  brief  war,  she  required 
of  her  adversary  20,000,000  thalers,  or  about  $15,000,000,  which  may  be  considered  a 
very  moderate  indemnity  ;  but  Prussia  not  only  "  fined  "  the  States  that  allied  themselves 
with  Austria,  but  demanded  territorial  concessions.  Five  years  later,  Prussia  defeated 
France,  which  was  forced  to  surrender  the  provinces  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  and  pay  her 
conqueror  the  immense  sum  of  $1,000,000,000.  She  was  given  fcur  years  in  which  to 
meet  this  stupendous  obligation,  but  she  did  it  in  about  one-half  the  time  allowed.  After 
Russia  had  defeated  Turkey  in  1878,  she  demanded  in  addition  to  territorial  concessions 
a  money  indemnity  of  300,000,000  rubles.  A  large  part  of  this  amount  is  still  unpaid. 
In  1895,  Japan  exacted  from  China  a  war  indemnity  of  $100,000,000  and  another  large 
sum  for  yielding  her  claim  on  the  Liaotung  peninsula,  supplemented  by  the  cession  to 
her  of  the  island  of  Formosa.  It  unquestionably  is  cruel  thus  to  impose  a  crushing 
burden  unnn  the  nation  already  drained  of  its  resources,  but  anything  that  tends  to  dis- 
courage  war  is  a  blessing  to  humanity. 


2O28 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES      CHAP,  cvi 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Copyright  1890,  by  See  and  Epler,  N.  Y. 

M.  JULES   CAMBON,   FRENCH    AMBASSADOR    TO   THE 
UNITED  STATES 


through  their  respective 
commissioners,  could 
negotiate  terms  of  peace. 
Directly  after  execut 
ing  the  protocol,  Presi 
dent  McKinley  signed 
a  proclamation,  declaring 
the  existence  of  an  arm 
istice,  and,  pursuant  to  a 
provision  of  the  protocol, 


Procla 
mation 


dential  orders  were  immediately 
sent  to  General  Miles  in 
Porto  Rico,  to  General 
Shafter  in  Cuba,  to  Gen 
eral  Merritt  in  the  Phil 
ippines,  to  Admiral 
Dewey  at  Manila,  and 


The  notice  of  this  ac 
ceptance  was  made  to 
President  McKinley  by 
the  French  ambassador  on 
the  afternoon  of  August  9. 
There  was  necessarily  a 
good  deal  of  preliminary 
work,  but  the  signing  of 
the  protocol,  and  the  de 
claration  that  war  no  lon 
ger  existed  between  the 
United  States  and  Spain, 
took  place  at  4  :  23  o'clock 
on  the  afternoon  of  August 
12,  1898.  Secretary  Day 
and  M.  Cambon,  the 
French  ambassador,  repre 
senting  Spain,  affixed  their 
signatures  t  o  duplicate 
copies  of  a  protocol  estab 
lishing  a  basis  upon  which 
the  two  countries,  acting 


SENOB  ALMODOVER 


2030 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cvi 


PERIOD     Admirals  Sampson  and  Commodore  Watson  at  Guantanamo,  to  cease 

VIII 

—        hostilities;  and  to  Admiral  Howell  at  Key  West,  in  command  of  the 

XPLAONNSION    blockading  fleet,  to  raise  the  blockade  of  Cuban  and  Porto  Rican 

1890       ports.     The  orders  also  included  the  release  of  the  port  of  Manila 

from  the  blockade  that  had  been  maintained  since  May  i.     Copies 

of  the  proclamation  were  forwarded  to  our  ambassadors  and  minis- 


Provi 
sions  of 

the 
Protocol 


NAVAL  CRANE  AT  HAVANA 

ters  in  South  America,  and  notification  of  the  signing  of  the  proto 
col  was  sent  to  all  other  diplomatic  representatives  of  the  United 
States. 

The  full  text  of  the  protocol  was  not  published,  it  being  expedient 
to  reserve  some  of  the  provisions.  The  protocol  provides  : 

"  i.  That  Spain  will  relinquish  all  claim  of  sovereignty  over  and 
title  to  Cuba. 

"  2.  That  Porto  Rico  and  other  Spanish  islands  in  the  West  Indies 
and  an  island  in  the  Ladrones,  to  be  selected  by  the  United  States, 
shall  be  ceded  to  the  latter. 

"  3'.  That  the  United  States  will  occupy  and  hold  the  city,  bay, 
and  harbor  of  Manila,  pending  the  conclusion  of  a  treaty  of  peace 


CHAP,  cvi      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2031 


which  shall  determine  the  .  control,  disposition,  and  government  of     PERIOD 


the  Philippines. 

"4.  That  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  other  Spanish  islands  in  the 
West  Indies  shall  be  immediately  evacuated,  and  that  commissioners, 
to  be  appointed  within  ten  days,  shall,  within  thirty  days  from  the 
signing  of  the  protocol,  meet  at  Havana  and  San  Juan,  respectively, 
to  arrange  and  execute  the  details  of  the  evacuation. 

"5.  That  the  United  States  and  Spain  will  each  appoint  not 
more  than  five  commissioners  to  negotiate  and  conclude  a  treaty 


SPANISH   BULL-FIGHTERS 

of  peace.    The  commissioners  are  to  meet  at  Paris  not  later  than 
October  i. 

»  "6.  On  the  signing  of  the  protocol,  hostilities  will  be  sus 
pended,  and  notice  to  that  effect  will  be  given  as  soon  as  possible 
by  each  government  to  the  commanders  of  its  military  and  naval 
forces." 

President  McKinley,  like  all  soldiers  who  know  the  horrors  of  war, 
was  immeasurably  gratified  that  the  conflict  with  Spain  had  been 
brought  to  an  end.  The  cause  which  led  to  intervention  in  Cuba  had 
triumphed  and  one  of  the  burning  wrongs  of  the  nineteenth  century 


CHAP,  cvi      McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2033 


had  been  righted  by  the  chivalric  vigor  of  the  young  Republic  of  the 
West,  which  demonstrated  to  the  Old  World  that  a  nation,  no  less 
than  an  individual,  may  possess  a  conscience  that  impels  it  to  do  right 
for  the  simple  reason  that  it  is  right. 

The  President,  on  August  12,  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  the 
existence  of  an  armistice.  Following  the  armistice  proclamation 
were  the  orders  from  the  War  Department  to  the  commanding 
generals  in  the  field  directing  that  all  military  operations  be  sus 
pended.  Substantially  the  same  telegrams  were  sent  to  General 
Miles  in  Porto  Rico,  General  Shafter  in  Santiago,  and  General 
Merritt  in  the  Philippines. 

On  August  1 6,  the  fol 
lowing  appointments  of 
military  commissioners 
were  announced : 

For  Cuba — Major- 
General  James  F.  Wade, 
Rear-Admiral  William  T. 
Sampson,  Major-General 
Matthew  C.  Butler. 

For  Porto  Rico — Major- 
General  John  R.  Brooke, 
Rear -Admiral  Winfield  S. 
Schley,  Brigadier -General 
William  W.  Gordon. 

The  members  of  the 
Peace  Commission  ap 
pointed  by  the  President 
to  meet  the  Spanish  mem 
bers  in  Paris  were: 

William  R.  Day  of 
Ohio,  Secretary  of  State; 
Cushman  K.  Davis  of  Minnesota,  William  P.  Frye  of  Maine, 
George  Gray,  United  States  Senators,  and  Whitelaw  Reid  of  New 
.York,  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune.  Former  Assistant  Secretary 
of  State  J.  B.  Moore  accompanied  the  commission  when  they  sailed, 
September  17,  as  secretary  and  special  counsel. 

The  Spanish  Commissioners,  as  announced  September  1 5,  were : 

Senor   Montero    Rios,  president  of  the  Senate;  Senor  Abarzuza, 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1898 


Exist 
ence  oi' 
an  Ar 
mistice 


HENRY  C.   CORBlN,   ADjUTA.M  P-G=.NiHAL,   U.   S.   A. 


Members 
of  the 
Peace 

Commis 
sion 


'  UNITED  STATES  PEACE  COMMISSIONERS  TO  PARIS  (OCTOBER  1     1898 ' 

COPYRIGHT    1898.  FROM  THE   ORIGINAL   DESIGN    BY   J.    A.    HUGHES 


CHAP,  cvi      McKINLEY'S  FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2035 


Senor  Villarrutia,   the   Spanish    minister  to   Belgium,   and    General      PER 
Cerero.      The  selection  of    the    fifth    member  was  left   to   Senor 
Montero  Rios.  COWHIA 

The    Peace    Commissioners    met    in    Paris,    but,    as    usual,    the  Ex 
Spaniards    haggled.      They    followed    their    rule    of    demanding 
that  which  they  knew  there  was  no  possibility  of  obtaining,  but  the 


LA  FUERZA,   HAVANA,   ERECTED  1573 

administration  having  fixed  upon  a  definite,  straightforward  policy,  Terms  of 
our  Commissioners  refused  to  yield  a  point.      The  Spaniards  were    Treaty 
offered  $20,000,000,  for  money  spent  or  debt  incurred  in  the  better-     cepted 
ment  of  the  Philippines,  together  with  free  entry  of  Spanish  goods 
for  ten  years.     Spain  refused  at  first  to  cede  the  islands,  at  any  rate 
without  a  much  larger  indemnity,  and  hoped  for  the  moral  support  of 
some  or  all  of  the  European  Powers ;  but  not  a  shadow  of  such  sup 
port  was  given,  and,  no  choice  being  left,  the  terms,  on  November 
28,  were  accepted. 

The  next  step  was  to  lay  the  Treaty  before  the  United  States  Sen 
ate,  where  it  met  with  violent  opposition:  It  cannot  be  denied  that 
a  strong  feeling  arose  in  many  quarters  against  the  so-called  policy 
of  "  expansion,"  and  for  some  time  it  looked  as  if  the  Treaty  must 


2036  HISTORY   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES    CHAP,   cvi 

PERIOD     fail.      A  vote,  however,  was  reached,   February  6,  1899,  when   the 
Treaty  received  the  support  of  40  Republicans,  10  Democrats,  3 
EXPANSION    P°Pulists>  3   Silver  men,  and   i    Independent,  while  it  was  opposed 
1898       by  22  Democrats,  3  Republicans,  and  2  Populists.     The  most  promi 
nent  Republican  opponents  were  Hoar  of  Massachusetts  and  Hale 
of  Maine,  but  the  vote  gave  3  more  than  the  necessary  two-thirds. 
Treaty         By  the  terms  of  the  Treaty,  Spain  renounced  all  right  to  sover- 
by  the    eighty  over  Cuba ;    ceded  the   island  of   Porto   Rico  to  the  United 
Senate     States,  and  the  islands  then  under  her  control  in  the  West  Indies, 
and  the  Isle  of  Guam  in  the  archipelago  of  Marianas  or  Ladrones. 
,    The  archipelago   known  as  the  Philippines  was   also  ceded,  the 
United  States  agreeing  to  pay  Spain  the  sum  of  $20,000,000,  within 
three  months  after  the  interchange  of  the  ratifications  of  the  Treaty. 
The  United  States  agreed  during  the  term  of  ten  years,  counting 
from  the  interchange  of  the  ratifications  of  the  Treaty,  to  admit  to 
the  ports  of  the  Philippine  Islands  Spanish  ships  and  merchandise 
under  the   same  conditions  as,  the  ships  and  merchandise  of  the 
United  States. 

The   United   States  agreed,  upon  the   signing  of  the  Treaty,  to 

transport  at  its  own  cost  the  Spanish  soldiers  made  prisoners  of  war 

in  the  Philippines,  and  to  return  their  arms  to  them.      Spain  was  to 

evacuate  the  Philippines  and  Guam,  on  conditions  similar  to  those 

Terms  of  agreed  upon  for  the  evacuation  of  Porto  Rico  and  the  other  West 

*he,       India  islands,  the  terms  for  the  evacuation  of  the  Philippines  and 
Treaty 

Guam  to  be  fixed  by  both  governments.  All  prisoners  of  war,  as 
relating  to  Cuba  and  the  Philippines,  were  to  be  released  by  both 
governments,  and  the  United  States  was  to  secure  the  release  of  all 
prisoners  in  the  power  of  the  insurgents  in  Cuba  and  the  Philippines, 
each  Government  to  transport  to  their  homes  the  prisoners  thus 
released. 

All  claims  to  national  and  private  indemnity,  arising  from  the 
beginning  of  the  last  insurrection  in  Cuba,  anterior  to  the  inter 
change  of  the  ratifications  of  the  Treaty,  were  mutually  renounced. 

In  Cuba  and  in  the  other  islands,  Spain  ceded  all  the  property 
belonging  to  the  Crown  to  the  United  States,  the  rights  of  the 
peaceful  possessor  of  such  property  or  goods  not  to  be  affected. 

Spanish  subjects,  natives  of  the  peninsula,  dwelling  in  the  terri 
tory  whose  sovereignty  Spain  renounced  or  ceded,  were  fully  guar 
anteed  in  all  their  rights,  and  they  could  retain  their  nationality  by 


CHAP,  cvi        McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2037 


filing  in  a  registry  office,  within  a  year  after  the  interchange  of  the 
ratifications  of  the  Treaty,  a  declaration  of  their  intentions.  Failing 
to  do  this,  they  were  to  be  considered  as  renouncing  their  national 
ity.  Religious  freedom  and  political  and  civil  rights  were  fully 
guaranteed.  Civil  and  criminal  actions,  pending  at  the  time  of  the 
interchange  of  ratifications  of  the  Treaty,  were  to  continue  under 
Spanish  jurisdiction  until  sentence  was  pronounced,  but  the  execu 
tion  of  such  sentence  was  to  be  intrusted  to  competent  authority  of 
the  place  where  the  action  arose. 


PERIOD 
VIII 


Literary,  artistic,  and  industrial  rights  in  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and 
the  Philippines  and  other  ceded  territories  are  fully  preserved,  and 
such  works  as  are  not  dangerous  to  public  order  are  allowed  to  enter 
free  of  duty  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  and  the  free  entry  of  Spanish 
ships  and  goods  for  the  same  period  is  conceded  to  Spain,  though 
either  Government  may  repudiate  this  article  of  the  Treaty  on  six 
months'  notice. 

The  obligation  accepted  by  the  United  States  as  regards  Cuba 
was  limited  to  the  period  of  the  occupation  of  the  island  by  our 
Government. 

On  March  17,  1899,  the  Queen  Regent  of  Spain  signed  the  ratifi-  Ratifica- 

cation  of  the  Treaty  of  Peace  with  the  United  States,  and  our  Gov     _.tlon 

J  Signed 

ernment  was  notified  of    the  fact  the  same  day  by  Mv  Cambon,  the  by  Queen 

French  Ambassador  to  the   United    States.     Three  days  later,  M.    Re&'ent 
Cambon  was  appointed  by  the  Spanish  Government  to  exchange  the 


2038 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES    CHAP,  cvi 


PERIOD 

— 
COLONIAL 

JliXI'ANSION 

188 


E  vacua- 

Cu'ba  and 
Porto 


ratifications  with  our  Government.  Diplomatic  relations  were  resumed 
between  the  two  countries,  which  became  as  friendly  nominally  as 
before  the  brief  but  terrific  war  between  them.  The  action  of  Spain 

* 

in  this  delicate  and  distressing  business  was  unchivalrous,  for  each 
Government  in  turn,  and  the  Cortes  as  a  whole,  shirked  the  duty  and 

threw  the  odium  upon  a 
lady  whose  unfortunate 
position  won  the  sym 
pathy  of  all  people  every 
where. 

It  is  worth  noting  than 
on  March  20,  1899,  the 
United  States  c  r  u  i  s  e  r 
Raleigh,  at  Gibraltar,  ran 
up  the  Spanish  flag, 
whereupon  Admiral  Ca- 
mara,  of  the  Spanish 
squadron,  hoisted  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  The 
honors  of  the  first  salute 
to  the  Spaniards,  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  there 
fore,  belong  to  the  Ra 
leigh,  one  of  the  hardest 
fighters  at  Manila,  and 
the  prompt  return  of  the 
courtesy  by  the  Spanish 
Admiral  attested  the  new 

and  happy  relations  now  existing  between  the  United  States  and 
Spain. 

The  withdrawal  of  the  Spanish  forces  from  Cuba  took  place  on 
t*16  ^ast  ^aX  °^  !  ^9^»  as  previously  agreed  upon,  and  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  was  raised  over  Havana  at  noon  on  the  following  day.  The 
change  of  sovereignty  in  Porto  Rico  was  made  without  friction,  but 
there  was  considerable  violence  in  Havana  during  the  early  part  of 
the  year.  The  firm  course  of  General  Brooke,  Military  Governor  of 
Cuba,  however,  soon  restored  order.  On  April  4,  *the  Cuban  As 
sembly  voted  to  dissolve,  disband  the  army,  and  accept  the  $3,000,000 
offered  by  our  Government  as  a  loan  for  payment  of  the  Cuban  troops. 


LIEUTENANT  VICTOR  BLUE 


CHAP,  cvi        McKINLKY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


2039 


PERIOD 
VIII 


Aguinaldo,  the  marplot  in  Manila,  caused  more  serious  trouble, 
and  a  number  of  engagements  occurred  in  which-  his  losses  were       5j^ 
heavy  and  ours  light.     He  refused  to  recognize  the  authority  of  the    EXPANSION 
United  States  Government,  and  insisted  that  his  people  were  entitled 
to  the  independence  for  which  they  were  struggling. 

Marching  northward  from  Manila  and  ^Caloocan,  General  Mac- 
Arthur  captured  in  rapid  succession  a  number  of  towns  and  vil- 


Trouble 


SPANISH  HISTORICAL  PERSONAGES  (No.   1) 

lages,  including  Malolos,  the  capital,  and  Santa  Cruz,  an  important 
town  about  fifty  miles  from  Manila.  The  resistance  at  all  these 
points  was  moderate,  but  more  than  once  sharp  fighting  took  place. 
At  all  times  our  soldiers  displayed  their  usual  heroism,  and  they 
were  led  with  skill  by  their  officers.  During  the  three  days  ending 
March  26,  we  had  22  killed  and  168  wounded,  to  which,  sad  to 
say,  other  casualties  were  added  as  the  war  progressed. 

The  whole  country  was  pleased  when,  on  March  3,  1899,  Presi- 
dent  McKinley  nominated  Rear-Admiral  George  Dewey  to  be  full 


2040 


HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cvi 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 

COLONIAL 
EXPANSION 

1898 


Official 
End 

of  the 
War 
with 

Spain 


admiral  in  the  navy  from  March   2,  1 899.     The  nomination  was  at 
once  unanimously  confirmed.  , 

The  official  end  of  the  war  between  Spain  and  the  United  States 
was  reached  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  April  11,  1899,  when  ratifications 
of  the  Treaty  of  Paris  were  exchanged  in  President  McKinley's. 
office  at  the  White  House,  Secretary  Hay  acting  for  the  United 
States,  and  Ambassador  Cambon,  of  France,  for  Spain.  At  the 
close  of  the  proceedings,  the  President  signed  a  proclamation  an 
nouncing  to  the  world  the  termination  of  the  Spanish-American 
war. 


Prodig 
ious 

Cost  of 
War 


BOAT  LANDING,   HAVANA 

War  is  always  expensive.  Since  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
we  have  spent  $8,000,000,000  and  lost  more  than  1,000,000  men  in 
the  wars  in  which  we  have  been  engaged.  The  Revolution  cost 
$135,193,000;  the  war  of  1812,  $109,000,000.  The  cost  to  the 
North  and  South  for  the  Civil  War  was  $7,400,000,000}  of  which 
the  Confederacy  expended  $2,400,000,000.  The  war  for  the  Union 
was  the  most  expensive  of  modern  times.  In  the  Franco-Prussian 
War  the  two  nations  expended  about  $4,100,000,000;  the  cost  of  the 
Russo-Turkish  War  was  for  both  countries  about  $500,000,000 ;  while 
the  Chino-Japanese  War  cost  the  two  nations  $200,000,000. 


CHAP,  cvi        McKINLEY'S   FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2041 


It  has  been  said  that  if  every  man,  woman,  and  child  now  living 
on  this  planet  were  massed  together  on  a  vast  plain,  and  by  their  side 
were  ranged  all  the  dead  who  have  perished  in  war,  the  two  gather 
ings  would  about  equal  each  other.  In  other  words,  if  every  living 
human  being  were  blotted  out  of  existence  to-day,  the  loss  would  be 
no  greater  than  that  which  has  been  caused  by  the  weapons  of  the 
soldier. 

Bearing  these  almost  inconceivable  statistics  in  mind,  and  recall- 
mg  the  great  battles   of  the  Civil  War,  our  conflict  with   Spain 
imounted    t  o 
scarcely    a    skir 
mish.     The  total 
losses  during  the 
c  o  n  t  inuance   of 
hostilities     was 
less  than  that. of 


many  second  and 
third  rate  battles 
between  1861 
and  1865.  In 
order  to  provide 
funds  for  the  pro 
secution  of  the 
war,  Congress 
p'assed  a  bill, 

which  was  signed  by  President  McKinley,  June  1 3,  calling  for  sub 
scriptions  to  the  amount  of  $200,000,000  of  bonds  paying  three  per 
cent,  interest.  Secretary  Gage  and  the  New  York  bankers  did  not 
believe  the  small  investors  would  absorb  the  loan,  the  announcement 
having  been  made  that  no  allotments  would  be  made  on  subscriptions 
in  excess  of  $5,000.  The  newspapers  insisted  that  the  small  investors 
would  oversubscribe,  and  the  newspapers  proved  themselves  right  in 
their  prophecy.  The  subscriptions  for  $5,000  and  less  aggregated  a 
great  deal  more  than  $200,000,000.  The  subscribers  for  less  than 
$5,000  received  the  full  amount,  while  those  who  called  for  the  even 
$5,000  had  to  be  satisfied  with  one-fifth  of  that  sum.  Had  the 
Government  asked  for  $2,000,000,000,  the  people  of  the  United 
States  would  have  made  haste  to  oversubscribe  the  amount. 

The  war  with  Spain  was  merely  an  episode  in  our  national  exist- 


PERIOD 
VIII 

OUR 
COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 
1898 


An 

Appal 
ling 
Truth 


A 

Populat 
Loan 


CHAP,  cvi        McKINLEY'S    FIRST  ADMINISTRATION 


2043 


ence.     After  Admiral  Dewey  "set  the  pace,"  there  was  hardly  a      PERIOD 
child  of  intelligent  years  in  the  country  who  did  not  see  the  inevi-       - — 

COLONIAL 

EXPANSION 

1808 


HON.  WILLIAM  R.   DAY 


table  end.     Trade  suffered  no  interruption,  and  certain  kinds  of  busi 
ness,  because  of  the  war,  were  stirred  into  greater  activity. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  partial  reorganization  of  both  the  Ameri- 


2044  HISTORY    OF   THE    UNITED    STATES     CHAP,  cvi 

PERIOD  can  and  Spanish  Cabinets.  Postmaster- General  Gary  found  his  health 
unequal  to  the  demands  upon  it,  and  retired,  to  be  succeeded  by  Hon. 
EXPANSION  Charles  Emory  Smith,  nominated  April  21.  Previous  to  this  (Jan- 
I898  uary  25),  Hon.  John  W.  Griggs,  governor  of  New  Jersey,  had  been 
confirmed  as  Attorney- General,  succeeding  Attorney- General  Mc- 
Kenna,  appointed  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
Cabinet  The  Hon.  John  Sherman,  when  made  Secretary  of  State,  was  be- 
an£es  ginning  to  show  signs  of  failing  health  and  vigor.  These  did  not 
improve,  and  the  assistant  secretary,  Judge  William  R.  Day,  of 
Canton,  Ohio,  assumed  the  every-day  management  of  the  Depart 
ment  of  State.  The  work  was  so  increased  by  the  outbreak  of  the 
war  that  Mr.  Sherman  withdrew  and  was  succeeded  (April  26)  by 
Judge  Day,  with  John  B.  Moore,  of  New  York,  Assistant  Secretary 
of  State.  Upon  the  resignation  of  Judge  Day  to  act  as  a  member  of 
the  Peace  Commission,  Col.  John  Hay,  formerly  Ambassador  to  Eng 
land,  succeeded  him  as  Secretary  of  Sfate,  being  sworn  into  office 
September  30.  1898.  Previous  to  this  date  (May  9)  Charles  H. 
Allen  of  Massachusetts  was  nominated  as  the  successor  of  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  who  resigned  to  organize 
the  "  Rough  Riders,"  the  organization  whose  brilliant  and  effective 
services  in  the  war  with  Spain  have  been  fully  set  forth  in  the  pre 
ceding  pages. 

One  of  the  most  impressive  illustrations  of  the  prosperity  and  re 
sources  of  this  great  country  was  the  fair  at  Omaha,  known  as  the 
n^h      Trans-Mississippi  and  International  Exposition,  which  opened  June 
Exposi-     i  and  continued  to  November   i,  1898.     The  vast  enterprise  was  a 
n       striking  exhibition  of    Western   enthusiasm,    pluck,   audacity,   and 
ability. 

The  grounds  selected  occupied  about  two  hundred  acres  of  land, 
forming  an  immense  L,  one  side  of  which  extended  along  the  "  Bluff 
Tract." 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  April  22,  1897.  Scarcely  anything 
had  been  done,  but  on  June  i,  1898,  the  "Magic  City"  had  sprung 
into  full  existence,  with  its  lovely  gardens,  miles  of  gravel  walks 
and  charming  drives  among  the  parks  and  past  the  lakes. 

The  Grand  Canal,  nearly  a  half-mile  in  extent,  was  spanned  by 
several  picturesque  bridges,  with  an  island  in  the  centre,  forming, 
with  the  broad  esplanades,  a  central  court  around  which  were  grouped 
the  buildings  appropriated  to  the  United  States  Government — Agri- 


CHAP,  cvr        McKINLEY'S    FIRST   ADMINISTRATION 


2045 


PERIOD 
VIJI 


OUR 


l898 


culture,  Mines,  Machinery,  Art,  Liberal  Arts,  Manufactures,  and 
the  Auditorium,  as  well  as  the  Administration  Arch  and  the  Arch  of 
the  States.  These  various  buildings  were  connected  by  continuous 
promenades  of  vine-shaded  columns,  which  offered  the  most  beauti- 
ful  of  walks.  The  buildings  were  tinted  with  the  hue  of  old  ivory, 
the  staff-  work  being  colored  to  the  exact  shade. 

The  Arch  of  the  States  forming  the  entrance  to  this  court  was    Striking 

i        r  r  c  r  i  r      i 

composed  of  twenty-tour  courses  of  stone,  one  from  each  of  the  trans- 


Copyright  i8q8,  by  F.  A.  Rinehart 

THE  OMAHA   EXPOSITION— FINE    ART    BUILDINQ 

Mississippi  States  and  Territories,  the  Nebraska  stone  also  supplying 
the  foundation.  Directly  opposite  the  entrance  was  the  Administra 
tion  Arch,  and  to  the  left,  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  court,  rose  the 
Government  Building.  The  middle  of  its  three  sections  was  capped  by 
a  gilt  dome  supporting  a  reproduction  of  the  Bartholdi  Statue  of  Lib 
erty,  with  the  electric  torch  held  1 78  feet  above  the  ground.  The 
building  was  500  feet  in  length,  enclosing  a  floor  space  of  50,000 
feet,  with  exhibits  which  in  some  respects  have 'never  been  equalled. 
The  buildings  devoted  to  electricity,  machinery,  and  manufactures 
contained  a  vast  number  of  astonishing  collections.  One  feature 
was  Edison's  method  of  separating  metals  in  low-grade  ores,  while 
Nikola  Tesla  illustrated  the  progress  that  has  been  made  in  wireless 


2046 


HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES    CHAP,  cvi 


PERIOD 
VIII 


1898 


telegraphy  and  the  remarkable  way  in  which  the  Niagara  Falls  have 
been  "harnessed."  In  the  Mines  and  Mining  Building  every  phase 
°^  *ne  working  °f  this  industry  was  represented,  while  the  agricul- 
tural  exhibit  was  probably  never  surpassed. 

To  many,  the  most  interesting  exhibit  was.  the  ethnological.  The 
delegations  of  Indians,  with  their  typical  costumes,  were  encamped 
over  the  surrounding  grounds  and  represented  the  majority  of  the  tribes 


THE  OMAHA  EXPOSITION— SOUTHWEST  SECTION  GRAND  COURT 

Other      in  the  country.      Relics  of  the   prehistoric   people   were   contrasted 
ningS  "  with  the  printing-presses  and  newspapers  of    the  modern   Indian. 
Exhibits   The  Passing  Show,  suggestive  of  the  Chicago  Midway  Plaisance,  dis 
played    Moorish  villages    and  Cairo    streets,   African    savages  and 
Southern    negroes,   with  their  characteristic  amusements,  Chinese, 
Japanese,  and  other  people  from  the  far  East. 

An  immense  multitude  were  present  on  October  n  and  12,  when 
President  McKinley  and  several  members  of  his  Cabinet  visited  the 
Exposition,  which  was  one  of  the  most  successful  ever  held  in  this 
country. 


ill. 


mw>sw  f^^;^  £ 


